photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State junior defender Claire Foust throws the ball in during a 2-0 loss to Olathe Northwest on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Lawrence.

Free State girls soccer lost its season opener 2-0 on Tuesday to Olathe Northwest after a slow start put the Firebirds behind the Ravens.

The Ravens started the game with an aggressive attitude that took the Firebirds some time to adjust to, and the Firebirds also had to knock off a little bit of rust for the first 40 minutes of the match.

“We did a lot better in the second half of thinking quicker, opening our ears and eyes and our quickness,” junior forward Siena Schamberger said. “They surprised us when we first came out because they were so aggressive, so we just need to reciprocate that.”

Being the first game of the season, communication wasn’t its best on Tuesday, and that hurt the Firebirds at times.

To start the game, the Ravens were aggressive with the ball. The Firebirds were on their heels, and freshman goalkeeper Justina Navarro had to make several saves early.

Free State picked up its intensity as the game went on, and the defense made more plays as the team got settled.

With 5:22 left in the first half, the Ravens scored a goal, popping the ball from the front left of the goal into the net. The Firebirds had a couple of quality looks but didn’t get any shots on goal for the first half.

Free State came out in the second half with a stronger attitude, and it showed with how the team attacked 50-50 balls. A much more aggressive showing there helped the Firebirds maintain the ball more, and it helped them get more shots on goal.

“I know they’re capable of possessing the ball better, they just came out in the first half and it looked like (nervous jitters),” Free State coach Tyson Heck said. “We work on a lot of small game and quick passing, and that just wasn’t there in the first half. The second half was better, but our aggressiveness wasn’t quite as matching.”

Free State senior defender Cara Jeffries said the team needed to communicate better and think “one step ahead” when they possessed the ball. Those both can come with more time as newer players get accustomed to what’s happening on the court.

The Firebirds had a few chances in the final minutes to tie it up but were unable to get the ball into the net. On the other end, with 1:41 left in the match, the Ravens added to their lead. The Firebirds initially defended a corner kick, but the Ravens found open space for a header that got past the Free State defense.

The final horn sounded with the Firebirds taking the season-opening loss, but the Firebirds have time on their hands to work through the issues. Heck said the thing he’s hoping to see from the team early on is cohesion, and that’s something the team can hone in on and build through the first couple of weeks, regardless of outcomes.

“We have to find that cohesion and team building, and as the season goes on, I think we’ll see a little bit more of that,” Heck said. “The senior group has played together for a long time, so they have a bond already, and getting the younger group to mesh in there well will just take some time.”

Free State soccer will be back in action on Thursday as the Firebirds take on Shawnee Heights at 6:15 p.m. at Bettis Family Sports Complex in Topeka.