by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information
It’s been a year and a half since soccer has been played at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
“Just happy to be back playing,” said Shawn Uhlenhake, the fifth-year women’s soccer coach at KCKCC. He’s even happier with the return of 11 sophomores from the best women’s team in college history. The opener comes at Cowley College April 2.
The 2019 Blue Devils won more game (13), had the best record (13-4), scored more goals (64) and had their highest Jayhawk Conference finish (second) than any women’s team ever at KCKCC.
From that team, the Blue Devils return six of their top seven scorers, a national leader in assists and a defense that allowed only 27 goals in 17 games.
“It’s a competitive group that likes each other,” Uhlenhake said. “Going through the nightmarish year we had last year with the pandemic and not knowing where we were going or what we were going to do, I think this team has grown closer and bonded together. They’ve come to practice and worked hard and they’re excited to compete.”
Uhlenhake expects great leadership from a quintet of forwards Corrine Hughes of Grain Valley and Melissa Siegel of Germany, midfielder Kayley Pedersen of Shawnee Mission West and defenders Katrina Sargent of Shawnee Mission South and Paige Liston of Wichita.
“They are the foundation of this team,” he said.
Hughes led the Blue Devils in scoring with 13 goals; Siegel had 10 but more important, she was fifth in the nation in assists with 21 while playing both the forward and midfield spots.
Madison Broeker of Lincoln, Nebraska, added eight goals, Pedersen six and Sargent and Jaidyn Yingling of Topeka Seaman four each.
Hughes, Siegel and Broeker will be joined at the forward spots by Katharina Oelschlager, a promising freshman from Germany, Mackenzie Denham and Sophie Sadrakola.
Pedersen, who was second in assists in 2019, will anchor a midfield that likely will include Siegel, sophomore Kennia Acuna and freshmen Grace Runyan, Piper Newell and Kaylee Shaw.
“Kayley Pedersen is the anchor of our midfield; she covers so much space,” Uhlenhake said. “She’s the ideal player for our new players to look up to as far as midfield play. No one works harder.”
A defense that had six shutouts and allowed only one goal in three other contests in 2019 will be built around veterans Katrina Sargent, Paige Liston, Jaidyn Yingling, Caroline Rutledge of Mill Valley and Hayley Coates of Shawnee Mission Northwest and newcomer Sammy Wojahn.
Veteran Lilly Kremer of St. Pius, who Uhlenhake calls an “exceptional teammate,” and freshman Suzie Lopez will be in goal along with multi-sport Mia Tomasic, who will join the squad after the conclusion of the volleyball season.
The Blue Devils will play only Jayhawk Conference rivals in what Uhlenhake calls a “meat grinder” of a schedule that opens at Cowley College Friday, April 2.
Playing four games in the first eight days of the season, KCKCC will also go to Neosho County April 5 before returning home to face Butler County April 7 and Dodge City April 10.
The Blue Devils will play home-and-home contests with East rivals Johnson County, Neosho, Coffeyville and Butler and single games against West rivals Cowley, Hutchinson, Barton County, Garden City and Dodge City.