By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Topeka High girls soccer coach Derek Snook pretty know what he has in his nine-member senior class and two-time All-City pick Avery Zimmerman, a junior.
But the Trojans still entered Monday's 2023 season-opener with some question marks and took a big step towards answering those questions in a 9-0 non-league romp past rival Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park.
Junior Avery Zimmerman (2) had four goals and an assist in Monday's 9-0 Topeka High season-opening win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High freshman Raelee Shipley (10), controlling the ball off her body, scored two goals and had an assist in her high school debut Monday, a 9-0 win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Zimmerman powered the Trojans with four goals and an assist and the Trojans also got a goal and two assists from senior Cierra Carranza and a goal and an assist from senior Haley Carpenter and a shutout in goal from senior Keira Trupp.
But Topeka High also got a pair of goals and an assist from freshman Raelee Shipley and a goal from sophomore Alexa Aguirre.
It all added up to an impressive opener for Snook's Trojans.
"Obviously it's really good to get a win and come back out in our first competition of the year and seeing where we are,'' Snook said. "Playing against each other (in practice) we were a little bit unsure. We kind of know, because we have so many seniors, what they can do, but how are we going to step up and replace the seniors we lost from last year.
"I thought we did a really good job, especially the younger ones, coming through. It was good to get everybody in the game and to see kind of what we have to work with.''
Carpenter scored the only goal Topeka High would need eight minutes into Monday's game and Zimmerman scored at the 11:57 mark before Shipley added the first goal of her high school career with 5:57 left in the half to give High a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.
It only took a minute and 14 seconds into the second half for Carranza to add to the High lead and Zimmerman scored her final three goals after halftime while the Trojans also got a second goal from Shipley and a goal from Aguirre to finish off the rout.
TOPEKA HIGH 9, TOPEKA WEST 0
Topeka High (1-0) 3 6 -- 9
Topeka West (0-1) 0 0 -- 0
Topeka High -- Goals: Zimmerman 4, Shipley 2, Carpenter, Carrranza, Aguirre. Assists: Carranza 2, Zimmerman, Shipley, Carpenter. Shutout: Trupp.
