By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Shawnee Heights soccer team took another step toward accomplishing its goals with a 3-0 defeat of Seaman at Bettis Family Sports Complex Tuesday.
Shawnee Heights senior Jose Curvelo-Montenegro (20) scores one of his two goals in Tuesday's 3-0 UKC win over Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Jose Curvelo-Montenegro (20) is congratulated after scoring a goal in Tuesday's 3-0 UKC win over Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Since suffering a loss to Washburn Rural in the season opener, the T-Birds have reeled off an eight-game win streak that finds them at the top of the Class 5A standings.
Senior Jose Curvelo-Montenegro received a pass from Camden Granado to punch home the first score of the night 15 minutes into the contest.
Curvelo-Montenegro added an insurance goal just two minutes into the second period on an assist from Sheldon Pokphanh. The T-Birds got a third tally on a corner kick by Thomas Aragon that Nick Prater put in the net.
“I was glad to get two goals after feeling like I’ve been trying. I finally had it,” Curvelo-Montenegro said. “I hope to keep scoring to help the team.”
Coach Nic Simons said Curvelo-Montenegro stepped up when the team needed another scorer to emerge.
“What I think is great about our team is, tonight Jose was able to step in and fill a role when we were having a tough night at the office for some of our guys that do a lot of our scoring,” Simons said. “Jose has been knocking at the door. He’s had a goal here, a goal there, but I think this was the kind of game he needed to gain confidence.
“Jose is a guy that is a little bit flashy. He can get into the minds of the opposing team. Teams have to think about him, and that’s one more weapon that makes us really dangerous this season.”
Shawnee Heights has claimed every United Kansas Conference championship but one since it joined the league. It can add another trophy to the case Thursday with a win at Leavenworth. Simons said winning Thursday will also keep the T-Birds in position for the top seed come playoff time.
“Right now, we’re atop the rankings of the 5A East, which has been our goal,” Simons said. “We want to host all the way to state. There are a lot of good teams out there and we want to think of ourselves as one of those upper-echelon-type teams.”
“It’s great to be 8-1,” Curvelo-Montenegro said. “I’m really happy with this win. We want to keep moving forward and get high up in the rankings.”
Simons reflected on the eight-game win streak, which began after a humbling opener at Washburn Rural.
“I think we left the Rural game feeling like we beat ourselves,” Simons said. “We just kind of self-destructed against a very talented Rural team. But we also felt like there was something special within us, that for 37 minutes of that game, we went toe-to-toe with a perennial 6A power.
“I think we left that game knowing we have the ability to compete with just about anybody that we will play, and I think we came away thinking this is an opportunity to do something special this season.”
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 3, SEAMAN 0
Seaman (4-5) 0 0 — 0
Shawnee Heights (8-1) 1 2 — 3
Shawnee Heights — Goals: Curvelo-Montenegro 2, Prater. Assists: Granado, Pokphanh, Aragon. Shutout: Arteaga.
