By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After graduating a big senior class, including multiple All-Staters, from a Class 6A state championship team last season, Washburn Rural girls soccer coach Brian Hensyel knew his team was going to go through some growing pains this spring.
Washburn Rural sophomore Ellie Vogel receives a hug from teammate Dayne Shriver after scoring her second goal in Monday's 4-0 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TN]
And while that has definitely been the case, Hensyel is confident that Monday's 4-0 Centennial League win over city rival Topeka High at McElroy Field could be the start to a big second half of the season for the Junior Blues.
"Quite honestly, part of the trouble this year is the girls may feel the pressure of being the state champs and you're in a program that wins all the time and our schedule's really tough,'' Hensyel said. "We don't have as much experience maybe as we've had in the past, but we're getting better.
"The goal is in three weeks from now, wherever we finish for the playoffs seeding-wise, we still feel like we're going to make a run and we'll be there at the end. I feel pretty confident that in two or three weeks we're going to be in a good spot.''
Now 5-4-0 overall and 3-1-0 in the league, Washburn Rural entered Monday's makeup game coming off a 2-0 shutout loss to undefeated Hayden and the Junior Blues and the Trojans were locked in a scoreless tie at halftime before Rural got its offense cranked up in the second half.
Senior Allie Schroeder (14) scored Washburn Rural's first goal in Monday's 4-0 Centennial League win over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Senior Allie Schroeder scored the only goal the Junior Blues would need just 3:14 into the second half off an assist from senior Dayne Shriver, the start of three Rural goals over a span of 11 minutes, 13 seconds to put the hosts in control.
Just 2:35 after Schroeder's goal, sophomore Ellie Vogel put the Junior Blues in front 2-0 off an assist from junior Maile Eldridge and Shriver found the back of the net at the 25:33 mark.
Vogel capped Rural's big second half with her second goal of the night off Shriver's second assist with 4:34 left.
"We've been working, the girls have good attitudes and they're trying hard,'' Hensyel said. "Sometimes you just get in a slump and soccer's a game where it's hard to score, so we've had trouble doing that recently.
"The second half was a lot better. We got a couple of set plays, which was nice. We've just got to keep plugging away and just try to get better on offense.''
Junior Abby Wanamaker picked up the shutout in goal for the Junior Blues.
Topeka High, which fell to 3-5-0 overall in its Centennial League opener, will host league rival Manhattan Tuesday night at Hummer Sports Park while Rural will be back at home Thursday to host St. James Academy in a non-league contest.
WASHBURN RURAL 4, TOPEKA HIGH 0
Topeka High (3-5-0, 0-1-0) 0 0 -- 0
Washburn Rural (5-4-0, 3-1-0) 0 4 -- 4
Washburn Rural -- Goals: Ellie Vogel 2, Allie Schroeder, Dayne Shriver. Shutout: Dayne Shriver 2, Maile Eldridge.
