CLASS 6A
 
At Hummer Sports Park, Topeka
 

 
BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST

Coach: Michelle Pothoven

Record: 13-5-1

Regional results: beat Blue Valley North, 5-1; beat Olathe South, 2-0; beat Mill Valley, 1-0 (5-4 PKs).

State semifinal: vs. Washburn Rural (16-3-0), 4 p.m.

Key players: Nimu Karani, sr., GK; Emily Peterson, sr., D; Nastassja Garrett, jr., MF; Mia LaBounty, so., D; Kate Rooney, sr., MF; Miriam Kante, fr., F.

Worth noting: Northwest returns to state semifinals for the first time since winning three straight state titles from 2013-15. … Huskies’ 2015 championship victory was a 2-1 win over this year’s semifinal opponent Washburn Rural. … Northwest also won state in 2011 and was runner-up in 2010. … Huskies knocked off undefeated and defending champion in state quarterfinals 1-0, winning 5-4 in penalty kicks after regulation and overtime periods went scoreless. … Peterson, Garrett, Karani, Alex Cowdrey and Kate Gibson scored on the PKs in the Mill Valley upset. … Huskies also handed 5A qualifier St. Thomas Aquinas its only loss of the season. … Northwest took fourth in ultra-tough Eastern Kansas League that produced 5 state semifinalists. … Karani is the three-time goalkeeper of the year in the EKL and has 10 shutouts this season. … Rooney, LaBounty and Kante each have 6 goals to lead low-scoring Huskies.
 

BLUE VALLEY WEST

Coach: Kyle Conley

Record: 14-3-1

Regional results: beat Gardner Edgerton, 4-1; beat Olathe West, 1-0 OT; beat Olathe Northwest, 1-0.

State semifinal: vs. Maize (14-4-1), 6:30 p.m.

Key players: Devin Monahan, sr., D; Kyra Berman, jr., F; Ava Brown, fr., MF; Rosemary Pujado, jr., F; Megan Walters, jr., MF; Addison Griffey, jr., D; Addison Hays, jr., MF; Sydney Rush, jr., D; Lauryn Welsh, fr., GK.

Worth noting: West returns to state semifinals after missing out last year. … Jaguars had won five straight state championships before last year’s absence, taking crowns every year from 2017-22 (2020 COVID year excluded). … West has 9 state titles overall in program history, all coming since 2002. … West was Eastern Kansas League co-champions with St. Thomas Aquinas. … Jaguars beat fellow 6A semifinalist Blue Valley Northwest 3-0 this season and also have a 1-0 win over fellow semifinalist Washburn Rural. … Only loss to a Kansas team came to Aquinas and other two losses came to Missouri schools Park Hill South and St. Pius X. … All three losses by one goal and tie came against Lee’s Summit (Mo.). … West also beat 4A semifinalist Bishop Miege and 5A semifinalist Blue Valley Southwest. … Berman has 13 goals and 7 assists. … Brown has 11 goals and 5 assists. … Welsh has 4 shutouts and has 46 saves with a 0.67 goals allowed average. … West has 10 shutouts overall. … Pujado has 9 goals and 6 assists and Walters also has 6 assists. … Jaguars have allowed just 10 goals all season while scoring 50.
 

MAIZE

Coach: Jay Holmes

Record: 14-4-1

Regional results: beat Wichita Southeast, 10-0; beat Wichita North, 5-0; beat Garden City, 4-1.

State semifinal: vs. Blue Valley West, 6:30 p.m.

Key players: Liliana Cortez, sr., D; Jadyn Perales, jr., MF; Parker Clark, jr., GK; Mikaela Llamas, fr., F; Taylor Dill, so., MF; Aleksah Moreno, jr.,, D.

Worth noting: Eagles have won 19 straight regional titles, but semifinal appearance is first since 2018 when Maize finished third. … Final four appearance is 16^th overall for the program. … Best state finishwas runner-up showings in 2008 and 2014. … Eagles finished runner-up in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail I to unbeaten 5A qualifier Maize South. … Two of other three losses came to 5A semifinalist Bishop Carroll. … Other loss came to Andover in season opener. … Eagles have win over 4-1A semifinalist Cair Paravel. … Llamas leads team in goals as freshman with 13 and also has 3 assists. … Perales haas 12 goals and 7 assists. … Dill has 7 goals and 6 assists. … Cortez and Moreno each have 2 goals and 3 assists. … Clark has posted 8 shutouts.
 

WASHBURN RURAL

Coach: Brian Hensyel

Record: 16-3-0

Regional results: beat Campus/Clearwater, 10-0; beat Wichita East, 8-0; beat Free State, 4-0.

State semifinal: vs. Blue Valley Northwest (13-5-1), 4 p.m.

Key players: Kate Hinck, jr., F; Destiny Higgs, jr.  MF; Hayley Legg, sr., MF; Allie Schroeder, so., MF; Erika Bovell, fr., F; Delaney Hill, jr., MF; Mackenzie Flood, sr., GK; Addyson Kaberline, jr., D; Peyton Merrick, so., D; Dayne Shriver, so., D; Emma Wong, so., D. 

Worth noting: Junior Blues’ appearance in semifinals is 11^th in program history and 10^th consecutive. … Junior Blues took third at state last year, falling to eventual champion Mill Valley 1-0 in semifinals before beating Centennial League rival Manhattan 4-1 for third. … Rural has four runner-up finishes in program history, including three in a four-season period from 2018-22. … Rural was undefeated Centennial League champions for third straight year and have won 11 of last 12 league titles, seven straight and 19 overall. … One of three losses came to fellow 6A semifinalist Blue Valley West, 1-0, on May 10. … Other losses came to Olathe Northwest and Blue Valley North, the latter in overtime, and Rural handed 5A qualifier Bishop Carroll one of its two losses. … Last meeting with Blue Valley Northwest was in 2015 state title game with Northwest winning 2-1. … Hinck’s 25 goals are the second-most in a season in program history and her 51 career goals are tied for second in school history. … Higgs had 9 goals and 6 assists. … Legg led team with 18 assists, third most in a season at Rural and has 29 career assists to rank ninth. … Schroeder had 7 goals and 12 assists and Bovell had 12 goals and 8 assists. … Flood had 15 shutouts in 19 games and has allowed just 6 goals. … Hill has 8 goals and 5 assists. … Kabeline leads young group of defenders that have allowed just 1 goal in the last 14 games.