photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Free State junior defender Julia Bourquin (#5, Black) makes a play for the ball during Tuesday's 5-0 loss to Olathe East on April 18, 2023, Free State High School.

An early ambush overwhelmed the Free State girls soccer team during a 5-0 loss to Olathe East at home on Tuesday. The Hawks charged out front from the first whistle, finding the net twice within the first five minutes of play.

O-East junior midfielder Caitlyn Toubia lit the first match less than a minute after kickoff, sliding a short-range shot past Free State sophomore keeper Merrit Hale off a corner kick. Hale, exiting the game after the first period, finished the day with five total saves on 11 shots.

“If we’re talking about what other teams will put in their scouting report, attack us early, get us down early,” Free State assistant coach Simon Skinner said after the loss.

Three more goals came from Toubia, freshman forward Lydia Smith and junior forward Braylee Rogers, putting the Lady Firebirds (0-8) in a four-goal hole with 28 minutes still to go in the first period.

Free State’s defense settled down from the intense start, but O-East senior forward Amaya Bible punched in another goal on an assist by Smith at the 16-minute mark. Opening the game with a brand new formation, Free State fell out of sync with its new 3-5-2 system, Skinner said.

“It’s something we’ve practiced just a few times,” Skinner said. “We had that corner kick that scored on within the first minute, so we quickly abandoned that and went back to our 4-3-3.”

photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Olathe East freshman Lydia Smith scores a goal on Free State sophomore keeper Merrit Hale during the first period of Tuesday’s 5-0 loss to Olathe East on April 18, 2023, at Free State High School.

Junior defender Julia Bourquin helped create Free State’s first shot attempt of the game by sophomore forward Olivia Hazlett — the Lady Firebirds’ lone shot of the first period — with six minutes remaining until the break.

Tight defense and a keeper change to freshman Gabi Coozennov made Free State a far more confident club in the second half. Coozennov made five saves on five second-period shot attempts from the Hawks. O-East ended the game with 16 total shots.

“The way we came out (in the second half), we were a completely different team,” Skinner said. “It’s kind of been the story of our season and that’s kind of the theme we’re trying to get to change — starting early.”

Free State threatened to score on a corner kick with 23 minutes left, but sophomore midfielder Neylana Haque couldn’t fight her way free for a clean shot.

The Free State defense kept the Hawks quiet deep into the final minutes of the second period and staved off one last goal attempt from O-East’s senior forward Ashlyn Arnett with under a minute left in the contest.

Free State hosts Shawnee Mission East on Thursday. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

BOX SCORE:



Olathe East 5 0 — 5

Free State 0 0 — 0

SHOTS: O-East 16; Free State 1.

SAVES: O-East — Hayes 1; Free State — Hale 5; Coozennov 5.