photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior midfielder Riley Prier looks for a header in a 2-0 loss to Olathe Northwest on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Lawrence.

In the last two postseasons, Free State girls soccer has punched above its standing in the bracket to complete road substate upsets.

The Firebirds have done this with effort and an underdog mentality that gives them an edge over the competition. No matter who they’re playing, the Firebirds play motivated to prove people wrong.

“Teams come in and want to play Free State because they think we aren’t very good, so they come from the jump thinking they can beat us,” senior defender Cara Jeffries said. “Coming out with effort and being aggressive and showing it won’t be as easy as they thought is important.”

Free State has a solid class of returners, but the Firebirds are still integrating new pieces to the team. During the integration process, the Firebird veterans are trying to set a tone.

“We have a lot of younger girls that are going to get used to more physical play,” junior forward Siena Schamberger said. “The more we play, the better we’ll get.”

Setting a tone on the pitch means being aggressive and physical, and winning 50-50 balls is a key part of that. Free State coach Tyson Heck said being a team that wins 50-50 balls is difficult to teach, and that a team either does it or doesn’t.

“We are going to have to really step up and figure out the 50-50,” Heck said.

The Firebirds did more winter conditioning this year, which is something Heck said isn’t typical. That helped build a connection with the team, and Heck saw the upperclassmen set a standard for what the program should look like.

The players saw that connection, too. The Firebirds are still working on putting everything together on the field, but the team is close knit and full of players who give effort.

“It’s so fun to just go out there,” Jeffries said. “Everybody tries their hardest, so it’s amazing to be out here… Everyone’s effort is super high. Nobody puts their head down and lets things get to them easily.”

Free State lost its season opener to Olathe Northwest 2-0, but the team upped its intensity in the second half of the match and were much more aggressive. It wasn’t perfect, but it showed promise of what the Firebirds can play like as the season goes on.

“For us to set a tone for what we would like to expect, it’s got to be about connection, it’s got to be quick passes, it’s got to be possession, keeping it on our feet, building it out our back and then obviously recognizing there’s times we have to play the ball long.”

Heck said a lot of it comes from the veterans leading the team, who are capable of balancing both demanding the standard from the rest of the team and encouraging others when they need it. That balance helps the Firebirds have a collective mentality, and the one they’re focused on maintaining is the underdog mentality that has helped them succeed in the playoffs.

“We go in knowing we are the underdog, so we have that mentality that we have nothing to lose, just go out there and play as hard as you can and see what happens,” Jeffries said.

“We all just want to win,” Schamberger added. “It’s a group effort.”