photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Free State's Elizabeth Hare reaches out to grab the ball against Washburn Rural on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Topeka.

Topeka — The Free State soccer team made its mark on the regional playoffs by pulling off two stunning road upsets at Dodge City and Derby.

It needed a third to make it to the state tournament, but couldn’t quite get it done in the quarterfinals Tuesday evening at McElroy Field.

Top-seeded Washburn Rural was relentless on the offensive end, wearing down the Firebirds’ defense and limiting potential opportunities on the other side of the field. In the end, the host Junior Blues came out on top 4-0 to bring FSHS’ unlikely run to a close.

The opportunistic Kate Hinck scored a hat trick for the Junior Blues, despite the best efforts of keeper Elizabeth Hare, while Free State remained scoreless even with some good opportunities for Taylor Woods.

“They’re strong, they’re athletic, and they’re able to control the tempo,” FSHS coach Joe Waldron said. “And that helped them out a great deal.”

One odd wrinkle for Free State was that the school’s graduation was slated for 7 p.m. Tuesday in Lawrence, just three hours after kickoff in Topeka — and that was with Washburn Rural accommodating the event by moving the game up by two hours. It made for an odd scene as several Firebird seniors left at halftime with the team trailing 2-0, while Hare and forward Elaina Zung stayed for the second half until Waldron subbed them out when the game got out of hand.

“You have to pick either between your last high school soccer game ever or walking at graduation, which is like an impossible decision,” said junior defender Amelia Wiles, one of the players left over, with sophomore teammate Riley Prier adding that the second half felt “pretty incomplete.”

Waldron said it had been an “emotional” and “mentally draining” period for the team and noted that he was able to call up several JV players who played in the game.

“We qualified for this game, we worked very hard this season to get here,” Waldron said. “An honor to be here, and we brought a team that we played, and we did the best we could. And I’m proud of the girls that did a wonderful job.”

Free State concludes its season at 5-13-1.

The Firebirds spent much of the opening period playing in their own half, but for a bit their defense was up to the task, particularly with the intense winds blowing Dayne Shriver’s long throw-ins off course. However, before 10 minutes had elapsed, the Junior Blues broke through with a cluster of players finding space on a corner kick by Hayley Legg and the junior captain Hinck making a touch for a go-ahead goal.

Free State got its first real offensive penetration on a patient possession in the 14th minute that ended with a blocked shot and then a longer-range attempt that sailed well over the goal.

Washburn Rural got the next high-quality chance at the halfway mark of the first half when Allie Schroeder found Hinck again in a gap in the defense, but with the Firebirds bearing down, she misfired and her shot was wide of the left post. Hinck won a bit of space from Prier moments later but ended up shooting high over the crossbar.

Hare was called in for a diving stop when Schroeder tried to thread through a low cross from the right wing.

There was nothing Hare could do, though, when a ball bounced out in front of the right foot of Destiny Higgs at the edge of the box and the Washburn Rural junior was able to redirect it into the left side of the net to double the Junior Blues’ lead.

In the final minutes of the half, Kate Foust made an interception on the offensive end and looked to the outside for the wide-open forward Woods, but Woods was offside. The half ended with Washburn Rural ahead by two goals.

After the break, Free State’s Madeleine Landry played a long ball through to Woods that could have produced a two-on-one opportunity, but it went too far toward the Junior Blues’ goal.

Instead, Hinck added to her account with a shot that went down off the underside of the crossbar and in, preventing Hare from making a play on it.

Woods zoomed past Peyton Merrick and in on goal for the Firebirds’ best opportunity of the day, but her shot was right to the keeper. Zung was wide on another solid chance when a ball deflected right to her in the box.

On the Junior Blues’ next trip down the field, Hare dove to knock out a lightly hit ball by freshman Erika Bovell, and then Ainsley Linhos came across the goal to deny Bovell on the rebound.

However, Hinck made it a hat trick in the 52nd minute, deflecting the ball past Hare when she ran out to try to defend a cross.

Landry saved a goal not long after when, with Hare subbed out for Merrit Hale, the Junior Blues nearly got a header to bounce in at the far post off a corner kick.

Hale denied Hinck from close range as the clock ticked closer to a victory for Washburn Rural.

The Junior Blues will move on to state having outscored their postseason opponents a combined 22-0.

photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Neylana Haque passes the ball to a teammate against Washburn Rural on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Topeka.

photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Taylor Woods connects for a header against Washburn Rural on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Topeka.

photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Neylana Haque controls the ball against Washburn Rural on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Topeka.

photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Riley Prier clears the ball against Washburn Rural on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Topeka.

photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Elaina Zung tries to get around Washburn Rural’s Emma Wong on Tuesday May 21, 2024, in Topeka.