THS 7, Ward 1

Justin Nutter

Joanna Filbert scored the first two girls of her high school career in a 7-1 win Wednesday at Bishop Ward.

First-half scoring

Emily Soetaert (TON), 12:41

Second-half scoring

Madison Simmons (TON), 39:31

Joanna Filbert (TON), 38:51

Madison Simmons (TON), 31:23

Joanna Filbert (TON), 30:00

Andrea Montanez (BW), 19:28

Morgan Galvin (TON), 17:26

Mackenzie Price (TON), 15:43

Kansas City, Kan. ? The Tonganoxie High girls soccer team didn’t score its seventh goal of 2013 until its fifth game of the year. The 2014 campaign opened Wednesday at Bishop Ward, and the Chieftains needed less than 45 minutes to match that number.

Five players scored in a 7-1 victory at the Cyclones’ Dorney Field. The Chieftains led by a single goal at halftime, but tacked on four more in the first 10 minutes of the second half to take control.

“It’s only the second time we’ve even stepped on the field, 11-on-11,” coach Justin Seever said. “In the first half, I think we got the jitters out the way a little bit. They were doing a good job of stymying us, but when we got the first one in the second half, I think we kind of broke them a little bit.”

THS (1-0, 1-0 Kaw Valley League) dominated possession in the first half, despite playing into a stiff wind. After coming up empty on several early shot attempts, the Chieftains got on the board when Madison Simmons fed the ball to Emily Soetaert down the middle of the field. Simmons’ pass split a pair of Ward defenders and Soetaert drew the goalkeeper out of the net before punching in her first score of the season with 12:41 left in the half.

That was the only goal of the first half, as THS took a 1-0 lead into the break.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Soetaert crossed the ball to Simmons in front of the net and Simmons doubled the lead just 29 seconds into the period. Freshman Joanna Filbert made it 3-0 just 40 seconds later. Simmons and Filbert each scored once more, giving the Chieftains a commanding 5-0 lead. Filbert’s second goal came on a penalty kick after a Ward player committed a foul in the box with exactly 30 minutes remaining.

Ward got one goal back when Chieftain keeper Lauren Jackson tried to clear the ball, but it was corralled by Andrea Montanez. Montanez skipped the ball by a diving Jackson, ending the shutout attempt with 19:28 to go.

Morgan Galvin scored her first goal of the year about two minutes later, banking a shot off the left post and into the net, and Mackenzie Price capped off scoring when she scored off a deflection with 15:43 remaining.

Before the season began, Seever said THS is likely in for higher-scoring games this season. He noted the team has more offensive weapons than it did a year ago, when Soetaert and 2013 grad Molly Welsh scored nearly every goal early in the year.

Seever’s prediction proved accurate in Wednesday’s opener, and he’s hopeful it’s a sign of things to come.

“A bunch of key players got goals (Wednesday),” he said. “That’s what we’re expecting and hopefully it’s something we’ll continue to do.”

The Chieftains will continue their four-game road trip Monday at Bonner Springs. They’ll also make trips to Spring Hill and Lansing next week.

“We went 1-3 against those teams last year,” Seever said. “It’s going to be tough. We’re going to learn a lot about ourselves in this next week.”