photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Senior forward Chloe Neufeld attempts a shot against Bishop Seabury's senior goalie Camille Farha before halftime in Baldwin City on Monday, May 13, 2024.

The Baldwin girls soccer team started its campaign for another long playoff run in style Monday night, pouncing on Bishop Seabury early on its way to a 6-0 home win in the first round of 4-1A regional competition.

Senior Alyssa Reichard kept a clean sheet despite some strong runs by Seabury striker Josie Kim, and sophomore Chloe Neufeld scored a hat trick to lead Baldwin to victory.

“We’ve been working really hard for the last two or three weeks of just really getting her to be active and not just turning and trying to use her speed as her only weapon,” Baldwin coach Drew Ising said of Neufeld. “And it was great. It all came together today. She received the ball out in pockets of space, she connected one-two passes with midfielders and with other forwards, and most importantly, she finished.”

Three other Bulldogs also scored one goal apiece to complete the rout, as the Bulldogs shut out the Seahawks 6-0 for the second time this season.

This time, the victory earned them a spot in the second round of the playoffs, where they will either travel to face No. 4 Atchison or host No. 13 Ottawa on Thursday, depending on the result of the match between those schools on Tuesday night.

The two days off between games could seem like a veritable vacation for Baldwin, which ended its regular season by playing six matches in an 11-day span due to weather and scheduling issues. Ising said he would never schedule that way intentionally, but it could end up paying off.

“Last year, we got to state — great team — and a little bit, it felt like we ran out of gas at the end,” Ising said. “And so maybe having that long stretch of games … maybe that gets our legs ready for that.”

Baldwin began Monday’s onslaught on the Seabury defense in the rainy opening minutes, although the Seahawks kept the game within reach early on thanks in large part to the efforts of goalkeeper Camille Farha and defender Xeva Oldridge.

Just two minutes in, Farha was needed to snatch a bouncing ball in the box before Baldwin’s Bailey Smith could get to it for a potential opening goal. Not long afterward, Farha didn’t come out with quite enough urgency and Oldridge had to clear a ball off the line.

The Seahawks weren’t quite as lucky in the ninth minute, when Neufeld got on the end of a long pass and took a touch past Farha for an easy goal.

Seabury had a chance to equalize on its best opportunity of the opening half when Kim caught up to a long goal kick, sprinted ahead, and beat Reichard to the ball, but Kim’s attempt went just wide of the right post.

Baldwin poured it on as the first half continued. Freshman Rylee Holder doubled the lead on another long through ball for a close-range shot on the right side of the goal.

Then the Bulldogs scored twice in quick succession in the 30th and 31st minutes. Senior Alex McBride played the ball in to Neufeld, who hit the post, but Smith knocked in a long rebound from the edge of the box. Neufeld ended up getting her second goal of the game not long afterward.

Seabury had a few corner kicks in the first half. On one attempt, freshman Isabella Gonzalez was able to lob a ball up in the box, but Reichard grabbed it for the save.

Neufeld completed a hat trick in the 60th minute when she was able to wrest control of the ball at point-blank range despite an attempted tackle by Oldridge and poked it past Farha to extend the lead to 5-0.

“She’s been working so hard this year,” Ising said of Neufeld. “She takes every little coaching point you give her and she’s just so good at just internalizing it right away. She may make a mistake once but that’s the last time she’s going to make that mistake.”

Kim nearly responded when she surged just behind the defense to receive a long pass, but with Marin Drummond bearing down on her she had to hurry a shot that went too high.

McBride lofted a free kick over the Seahawks’ defense for Baldwin’s sixth goal with just over 10 minutes to go.

Farha saved another dangerous attempt by Addy Ediger off the underside of the crossbar in the final minutes, while Reichard had to drive to her left for one more big save after Helena Gutierrez sent Kim in on goal.

Coach will step down

This will be Ising’s final season at the helm of the Bulldogs. He announced after the game that he is stepping down from coaching.

Ising started teaching at the high school during the 2015-16 school year and has been one of the region’s most decorated coaches, earning Journal-World All-Area coach of the year honors in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. Last year’s Bulldogs were the top seed in the state tournament.

“There’s been so many really great kids out here in Baldwin,” Ising said postgame. “We don’t have a whole roster of girls that play year-round soccer, and there’s not a big club soccer scene for high school kids. And so they come out, and some of them, this is all the soccer they play in the year, is the soccer season, and I’m always just so impressed with how hard they work.”

He said he found it particularly impressive that his players hit the ground running after switching over from other sports — or even while playing other sports at the same time.

“It’s a great foundation that they make with their youth soccer programs here,” Ising said. “I don’t know, it’s just something special about Baldwin High School.”

Ising sees progress from where the program was in the recent past, as his players look toward another playoff run.

“A couple of years ago, when all these seniors were ninth and 10th graders, we lose those games when we get down,” Ising said. “We don’t get a lead against Bishop Miege, or against Olathe North, you know. And we did it this year. And so now it’s just, OK, let’s finish the job.”

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin senior forward Avery Bergan dribbles the ball against Bishop Seabury in Baldwin City on May 13, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Senior forward Nora Prather of Baldwin and senior Helena Gutierez of Bishop Seabury battle for the ball in Baldwin City on Monday, May 13, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin senior forward Bailey Smith kicks the ball from the corner against Seabury in Baldwin City on May 13, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Senior Bella Ogborn of Bishop Seabury controls the ball against opponent Alex McBride of Baldwin in Baldwin City on Monday, May 13, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Bishop Seabury sophomore Xeva Oldridge kicks the ball to a teammate in a game against Baldwin on Monday, May 13, 2024, in Baldwin City.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Bishop Seabury and Baldwin players chase the ball into the goal after a kick from Baldwin’s sophomore forward Chloe Neufeld in Baldwin City on Monday, May 13, 2024

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin senior forward Avery Bergan dribbles the ball against Seabury in Baldwin City on Monday, May 13, 2024.

photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

The Baldwin Bulldogs line up after winning 6-0 against Bishop Seabury in Baldwin City on Monday, May 13, 2024.