Veterans mix with youth to lead Bishop Carroll girls soccer back to 5A quarters
It’s no surprise for the Bishop Carroll girls soccer team to be back in the Class 5A quarterfinals.
But the Golden Eagles have done it in a different way this season, as they have earned their 16-2 record with a defense of mostly first-year underclassmen and a rotation that features seven freshmen in total.
Bishop Carroll hosts Andover Central (15-2-1) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday with a final four spot at the state tournament in Spring Hill on the line.
“It’s been really fun this season to see the older girls take the younger girls under their wing,” Carroll coach Greg Rauch said. “Now those freshmen are ready to produce and they’re playing like they’re not freshmen anymore.”
Carroll’s youth was put to the test in early April when the team traveled to play at St. Thomas Aquinas, a 3-2 overtime loss, and at Washburn Rural, a 1-0 loss. Both opponents are No. 1 seeds in their respective regions.
“Those games showed us we could compete with anybody,” Rauch said. “A lot of these younger girls are technically super advanced, but on the flip side, there absolutely were some learning-curve adventures there early. We had to take a step back sometimes and remember, they’ve literally never done this before and they’re only 14 years old. Maybe we should explain this a little bit better. But man, they are gifted athletically and they are legit off the bat.”
Helping the transition has been veteran players at each level of the field for Carroll.
Senior Izzy Mull pairs with juniors Leah Henke and Darby Howard to form a dangerous front line, while seniors Brecken Hoy and Olivia Stallbaumer patrol the middle of the field. Senior Kaelyn St. Vrain helps spearhead the back line.
Sophomores like Itzelle Lumbreras (midfielder), Liza Dugan (defender), Rachel Hawkins (defender) and Tessa Stika (goalkeeper) have responded with expanded playing time this season, while freshman Madeline Weed has already become a mainstay for the team at center back. Other freshmen like defender Isabel Asensio and midfielder Sadie Newell have also made occasional starts for the Golden Eagles.
“I would hope their confidence is up right now,” Rauch said. “We keep telling the girls that we’re asking them to do the same thing they’re doing for us in practice. We want to build confidence through competence. Just prove it in practice and then you’re going to be ready to excel when the game comes. If you can go against Leah Henke every day in practice, then you’re going to be ready to defend anybody.”
Kansas high school girls soccer state schedule
Class 6A quarterfinals
Blue Valley Northwest (12-5-1) at Mill Valley (16-0)
Blue Valley West (13-3-1) at Olathe Northwest (15-3)
Lawrence Free State (5-12-1) at Washburn Rural (15-3)
Maize (13-4-1) at Garden City (12-3-2)
Class 5A quarterfinals
Andover (15-2-1) at Maize South (18-0)
Andover Central (15-2-1) at Bishop Carroll (16-2)
Shawnee Heights (13-5) at St. Thomas Aquinas (16-1)
Topeka Seaman (12-4-1) at Blue Valley Southwest (15-2)
Class 4-1A quarterfinals
Baldwin (12-6) at Topeka Cair Paravel (13-4-1)
Bishop Meige (11-7) at Louisburg (13-4-1)
McPherson (12-5-1) at Augusta (12-5-1)
Trinity Academy (9-8) at Rose Hill (12-3-1)
