Free State's Erik Slan (18) celebrates with teammates after scoring the Firebirds' first goal against Shawnee Mission East. Slan scored three goals in Free State's 5-1 victory Thursday at Free State.

Free State's Jordan Williams (13) goes up a loose ball Thursday against Shawnee Mission Easts Derek O'Grady (10) at FSHS fields.

Free State’s soccer team found itself in a situation – down a goal early – that it might not have bounced back from in the past.

The Firebirds’ senior forward Alex Clayton said last year players would hang their heads in a similar situation. But this is a different team, and the Firebirds regrouped from the early home deficit Thursday to pound Shawnee Mission East, 5-1.

“As soon as they scored we knew we had to pick it up a notch,” Clayton said. “That goal was atrocious defending on our part. They shouldn’t have had that opportunity.”

The Firebirds responded defensively and offensively following the goal by the Lancers’ Mitchell Jennings in the seventh minute, when the Firebirds failed to mark the SM East midfielder.

“We kind of brought it up together,” senior forward Erik Slan said of the defensive breakdown, “and started taking it to them.”

Slan led the charge with the first of his three goals in the 17th minute when he got a pass from Andrew Heck. Slan and SM East goalkeeper Matt Moedritzer both were moving for the ball. Slan kicked it past his opponent, hurdled the keeper and put the ball in the back of the net.

Even that wasn’t Slan’s most impressive goal. In the second half he got a pass from Diego Gonzalez and blasted the ball off his left foot to put the Firebirds up 4-1.

Coach Jason Pendleton had been telling Slan to trust his left leg, and following that score it was obvious why the coach had such confidence in the appendage.

“Erik can crush the ball with either foot. He’s such a poised finisher to begin with, but for whatever reason at times he doesn’t have confidence in his left foot,” Pendleton said. “That ball was blistered. That hit the brace of the upper 90, and that was a goal against anybody in high school, and heck, maybe anybody anywhere.”

Pendleton also praised Slan for becoming more mature this year, adding that he had been a model teammate.

“He’s seeing the benefit of his hard work and as a team, we are too,” Pendleton said.

But it is the combination of Slan and Heck that has made the Firebirds (6-1, 4-1) so effective this year. They were Free State’s strikers last season, but Pendleton said the speedy duo had taken it to another level this year.

Clayton displayed his speed on the game’s final goal when he controlled the ball after a SME corner kick. He took the ball up the right sideline before beating defenders diagonally across the field and firing in his second goal on the day.

The Firebirds were eager to win against SM East (4-4, 2-3) because the Lancers had defeated SM South, the only team to defeat Free State this season.

“We really wanted to beat this team big,” Clayton said, adding that the victory could be a message to the rest of the Sunflower League. “This was a chance to go out there and show the rest of the league that maybe we’re good this year.”

Pendleton said this year’s version of the Firebirds is better than last year’s squad, which was 2-4 around this time in 2006.

“Right now we’re at a much better point than we were last year and we’re gaining confidence,” Pendleton said.