CLASS 6A

At Stryker Complex, Wichita
 

MANHATTAN

Coach: Michael Sanchez

Record: 12-5-2

Regional results: beat Liberal, 10-0; beat Dodge City, 3-0; beat Garden City, 4-0.

State semifinal: vs. Shawnee Mission East (17-2-0), 5 p.m.

Key players: Taylor McHugh, sr., GK; Emery Ruliffson, jr., MF; Jada Dibbini, so., MF; Reese Snowden, jr., F-D; Emonie Christion, jr., D; Maggie Dixon, jr., F; Adaly Espinoza, jr., F; Kameron Felice, fr., D; Grace Geisbrecht, jr., D-F; Delaney Larson, fr., F-MF; Chloe Porter, jr., D; Katelyn Purdom, sr., MF-F.

Worth noting: Indians qualified for state semifinals for fifth straight season. … Manhattan took fourth each of the past two years, falling in the semifinals to eventual champion Blue Valley West 5-1 last year and then to Olathe Northwest 5-0 in third-place game. … Indians were sitting just 3-4-1 in mid-April before winning 9 of last 11 games. … Indians finished runner-up to fellow 6A semifinalist Washburn Rural in Centennial League, losing 3-0 to the Junior Blues. … Another loss came to 5A semifinalist Bishop Carroll. … Ruliffson leads team with 17 goals and also has 6 assists. … Geisbrecht has 7 assists. … Purdom has 5 assists. … McHugh has 7 shutouts and 80 saves.
 

MILL VALLEY

Coach: Jason Pendleton

Record: 16-2-1

Regional results: beat Leavenworth, 10-0; beat Blue Valley Northwest, 3-0; beat Olathe West, 2-0.

State semifinal: vs. Washburn Rural (14-4-1), 7 p.m.

Key players: Olivia Page, sr., D; Laney Reishus, sr., MF; Acacia Weis, sr., MF; Kate Ricker, jr., D; Gracie Knight, sr., D; Shelby Kindt, jr., F.

Worth noting: Jaguars were 5A state runner-up last year, falling 2-1 to St. Thomas Aquinas in championship match. … Runner-up finish was fourth for the program, the others coming in 2012, 2016 and 2018. … Jaguars still seeking first title, but Pendleton led Blue Valley Southwest to titles in 2017 and 2018 and led Jaguar boys to 6A title in the fall. … Jaguars have beaten semifinal foe Washburn Rural this season, taking a 4-0 win in late April. … Only losses came to fellow 6A qualifier Shawnee Mission East and 5A qualifier St. Thomas Aquinas and tie came to Olathe West as Jaguars finished runner-up in Sunflower League. … Reishus, a Kansas State signee, leads team with 12 goals and has 6 assists. … Kindt has 10 goals and 6 assists. … Page, a Kansas signee, has 8 goals. … Knight has 9 assists … Weis is also a K-State signee.
 

Coach: James Kelly

Record: 17-2-0

Regional results: beat Shawnee Mission West, 4-0; beat Blue Valley North, 1-0; beat Olathe Northwest, 3-2.

State semifinal: vs. Manhattan (12-5-2), 5 p.m.

Key players: Ashley Koch, sr., F; Reese Birch, sr., MF; Cate Holzbeierlein, sr., D; Grace Hastert, sr., GK; Addison Stover, fr.; Natalie Scobie, fr., MF; Kate Lucas, fr., D.

Worth noting: Lancers back at state after missing out last year. … East took second in 2021 in 6A, losing to Blue Valley West 2-1 in the finals. … Lancers won state titles in 1997, 1999 and 2000 and also took second in 2001. … East was Sunflower League champions with only league loss 1-0 in double overtime with 16 seconds left to Olathe Northwest, which it avenged in regional finals. … Only other loss came to Blue Valley Northwest in a PK shootout. … League title was ninth overall and sixth under Kelly. … Lancers have 1-0 win over fellow 6A semifinalist Mill Valley, getting win on Koch’s goal with 3 minutes left. … Koch has 24 goals and 10 assists and is third on single-season scoring list. … She had game-winner in quarterfinal. … Stover has 9 goals and 7 assists. … Birch has 7 goals and 5 assists. … Hastert has 9 shutouts. … All 4 seniors captains have signed Division I or III soccer next year. … Semifinal game is rematch of 2021 semifinal the Lancers won 2-1.
 

WASHBURN RURAL

Coach: Brian Hensyel

Record: 14-4-1

Regional results: beat Wichita South, 10-0; beat Derby, 3-0; beat Wichita Northwest, 5-1.

State semifinal: vs. Mill Valley (16-2-1), 7 p.m.

Key players: Hailey Beck, sr., GK; Mackinly Rohn, sr., MF; Kate Hinck, so., F; Destiny Higgs, so., MF; Addi Broxterman, sr., D; 

Worth noting: Junior Blues’ appearance in semifinals is 10^th in program history and ninth consecutive. … Junior Blues took second to Blue Valley West in last year’s championship match, falling 2-0. … Rural also took second to the Jaguars in 2018 and 2019. … Rural was undefeated Centennial League champions for second straight year and have won 10 of last 11 league titles and six straight. … League title this yer included 3-0 win over fellow 6A semifinalist Manhattan and 1-0 over 4A semifinalist Hayden. … Junior Blues dropped three straight games in late April, including losses to 5A semifinalist Bishop Carroll (1-0) and semifinal opponent Mill Valley (4-0). … Other losses came to Blue Valley West and Blue Valley Southwest. … Beck has 12 shutouts and Junior Blues have allowed just 12 goals in 19 games with Beck giving up just 10. … She has 36 career shutouts and has committed to Washburn along with Rohn, who has 10 goals and 14 assists. … Hinck leads team with 12 goals and has 7 assists. … Higgs and Broxterman each have 8 goals. … Rural is undefeated at home eight of last nine years.