by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s young women’s soccer team rewarded the biggest home crowd in history with a 1-0 season-opening win over State Fair Tuesday.
Itzel Almanza, a freshman forward from Harmon High School, scored on a pass from Bishop Ward sophomore Serena Ortiz with about 15 minutes left in the first half for the game’s only goal.
The win came in front of a record crowd of 215 fans, families and Blue Devil athletes that filled the west side bleachers.
“The crowd was great; it made the players feel special, that’s for sure,” said second year head coach Shawn Uhlenhake.
The Lady Blue Devils are right back in action Sunday when they play host to Dodge City at noon. That game will be followed at 2:30 p.m. by the opening of the KCKCC men’s season against East Central.
Jessica Hill of Shawnee Heights, one of eight freshmen in the starting lineup, recorded her first shutout in goal for the Blue Devils.
“She was involved quite a bit; we used her a lot,” Uhlenhake said.
“I thought we played well for the first 20 minutes of each half,” Uhlenhake said. “We had a lot of opportunities on goal but then became a little impatient from not scoring and started forcing some things that were not needed. But overall it was a team win and with experience it’s a team that will gain patience.”
Uhlenhake was particularly pleased with the play of midfielder Madison Plake of DeSoto, center backs Bailey Zinser of Lansing and Carmen Rush of DeSoto, and outside backs Audrey Wooten of Olathe North and Mike’e O’Dell of Shawnee Mission North. All are freshmen with the exception of Zinser, a team captain.
Blue Devil athletes attending the game were treated to hot dogs and watermelon by the KCKCC Student Senate under the direction of Andrica Wilcoxen.