By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It was a cold, rainy and windy night at Hummer Sports Park Tuesday night.
But nothing could rain on Topeka West soccer's parade to a Class 5A regional final as the Chargers rolled to a 6-2 win over Hays, avenging a season-ending loss to the Indians in the 2024 playoffs.
Junior JP Ayella (right) scored a pair of goals Tuesday in Topeka West's 6-2 Class 5A regional win over Hays at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Tuesday was a much different story for West, now 13-2-2 on the season, with senior JP Ayella finding the back of the net just 1 minute, 45 seconds into the game, the beginning of a 3-0 start for the Chargers, who will host Salina South at 6 p.m. Thursday at Hummer.
The Chargers' early offensive explosion -- three goals in the first 6:13 -- was a welcome sight for Topeka West coach Josh Kutter, whose team had been blanked 2-0 in last season's playoff contest and managed just one goal in a 1-0 tournament victory over the Indians early this season.
"That was really big,'' Kutter said. "We know that we're capable of putting the ball in the back of the net and we always know that we want to get off quick, but that confidence, it carries you through a game, so having that confidence and that energy that they had for the entire game was really important.''
"Starting fast helps us advance and gets our hopes up and all, so I was really glad I was able to get that first goal quick,'' Ayella said. "Overnight I was thinking, 'Man, we have to win,' because you're going to feel so bad if you don't win and the season's done like that, so my emotions were high and I was like, 'We've got to win.' ''
Topeka West junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera (9) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring his first of two goals in the Chargers' 6-2 Class 5A regional win over Hays Tuesday night at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
West junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera made it a 2-0 game at the 36:16 mark of the opening half and just 2:31 later junior D'Ante Smith Dilone scored to put the Chargers in command at 3-0.
Hays (7-9-0) got a goal junior Brecken Otte at the 33:05 mark but sophomore Valentin Del Real answered for West just over four minutes later to put the Chargers up 4-1.
Hays cut its halftime deficit to 4-2 on a goal from senior Eduardo Maldonado, but Ayella and Gonzalez-Talavera both scored their second goals of the night in the second half to account for the final 6-2 margin.
Next up for the Chargers is Salina South, which West edged 3-2 in the championship game of the early-season Salina South Invitational.
The Cougars advanced with a 2-1 overtime win over Andover Central Tuesday.
TOPEKA WEST 6, HAYS 2
Hays (7-9-0) 2 0 -- 2
Topeka West (13-2-2) 4 2 -- 6
Hays -- Goals: Brecken Otte, Eduardo Maldonado
Topeka West -- Goals: JP Ayella 2, Diego Gonzalez-Talavera 2, D'Ante Smith Dilone, Valentin Del Real.
