Free State Junior High posted its first girls soccer victory Tuesday afternoon.

OK, Free State isn’t a junior high, but with as many freshmen as coach Jason Pendleton is using the Firebirds definitely are an inexperienced high school team.

“We have three freshmen among our top six attackers,” Pendleton said. “We’re really young, and it’s difficult because the athleticism they face is a step up from what they’re used to.”

Alexa Moreno, a ninth-grader at Central Junior High, stepped it up for the Firebirds on Tuesday, scoring an unassisted goal and aiding on another in the 3-1 triumph over Shawnee Mission North at the FSHS field.

Free State led 1-0 at the break thanks to an SM North player accidentally kicking the ball into the Indians’ net in the first minute.

Then in the 11th minute of the second half, Moreno struck a penalty kick from 20 yards to the right of the SMN goal and it was headed in by teammate Lucca Wang.

Wang, a sophomore, is one of 12 underclassmen (seven sophs, five freshman) on the 18-player roster.

Four minutes later, the Indians bounced back when freshman Rhiannon Mendez converted a ricochet off the Firebirds’ right post. But Moreno provided the clincher less than seven minutes later.

Awarded a penalty kick about five yards short of midfield, Moreno lofted the ball over the SM North goalkeeper’s outstretched arms and into the net for her first goal as a Firebird.

“I’d been having an off-day,” Moreno said afterward about her late contributions. “In the first half, I wasn’t focused enough. I work on that shot a lot. I’m glad it helped us win.”

Free State had dropped its first four outings, but now has the same record as SM North (1-4).

“I feel we’ve worked a lot harder in the second half,” Moreno said. “It felt really good to win. It got our confidence up.”

Pendleton was in a up mode, too.

“It’s nice to win and to be rewarded for the effort,” the Firebirds’ coach said. “You want some payoff for the hard work.”

Free State was credited with 11 shots on goal while SM North had only four.

“From an attack standpoint, we did a nice job,” Pendleton said, “but we didn’t finish that well.”

Next for the Firebirds is a trip Friday to Leavenworth.