Free State senior Eduardo Carballido Flores (7) is hounded by Olathe East's Shane Kopplin (6) and Jeremy Edds (4) during their soccer match Tuesday evening at FSHS.

Facing the Class 6A defending state champions Olathe East on Tuesday, Free State High’s boys soccer players knew they needed to play a near-perfect game to earn an upset victory.

The Firebirds showed flashes but couldn’t keep up with the Hawks in a 3-0 loss at FSHS, snapping FSHS’s five-game win streak.

The Hawks (11-0, ranked No. 1) controlled the pace for the majority of the first half and scored in the 18th minute when O-East junior Jacob Chapman leapt on a corner kick and used his height to head the ball into the back of the net, assisted from Blake Marsee.

O-East added another goal just eight minutes later when junior Shane Kopplin scored on a rebound in the 18-yard box.

“Their offense is really good,” senior defender Jordan Patrick said. “They have three very good technical forwards. They hold onto the ball well. It’s just tough to shut them down.”

The Firebirds (7-4) were outshot, 20-6, but put together some solid scoring opportunities in the second half with strong crosses in the attacking third of the field.

In the 54th minute, after a free kick from senior midfielder Will Laufer was sent into the box, the ball was headed around by a few players until the Hawks cleared the ball and ended the threat.

The Hawks, who are ranked seventh in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer, have allowed only one goal this season, and have recorded shutouts in nine consecutive games.

“They do play with a lot of people behind the ball,” FSHS coach Kelly Barah said. “On every transition they had four or five guys already set and it’s hard to then find that through ball. It had to be perfect and today was just a day where we couldn’t get that perfect through ball.”

The Firebirds tried to create opportunities through Laufer, but he was constantly surrounded by a few defenders, which made it difficult for him to sneak passes to forwards Eduardo Carballido Flores, Toufik Ahmmed, Heitor Nazareth and Israel Lumpkins.

“It was just our final pass to one of our forwards in the box just sometimes isn’t there,” senior defender Ernesto Hodison said. “Sometimes just putting it away is a little difficult, but we’re still working on it and we’ll get better as the season wears on.”

But the Firebirds were happy with their defensive effort, especially with Patrick, Hodison, freshman Rowan Laufer and sophomore Charlie Newsome, among others, playing on the back line.

The Hawks scored their final goal in the 42nd minute when senior Logan Steen drilled a shot into the net after a ricochet off of the crossbar.

“In all honestly, we stopped them in open play,” Laufer said. “All of their goals they scored off of us were because a good ball in the box or missed clearance by us. It was very difficult. Our two center backs played the best game of their season. It was difficult but very doable.

“We felt going into the game that we could hang with them, but we didn’t see us giving up three set-piece goals. We knew we could hang with them.”

The Firebirds will travel to Lawrence High at 7 p.m. Thursday for the City Showdown, a matchup they’re always excited for.

“We are beyond ready,” Laufer said.