photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Elise Lawrence watches the ball in a 6-0 win over Topeka on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Lawrence.

The 2025 girls soccer season was important for Lawrence High. After a few years of rebuilding, the Lions were able to compete with anybody in the state.

This year’s team has almost the same roster, and the Lions are ready to go from battling in any given game to winning. For a Lawrence team with experience and a close bond, this season is all about getting to the state tournament.

“Last year they competed,” Lawrence coach Joe Comparato said. “This year, they want to turn all those one-goal losses into wins. They’re a tight-knit group, and they’ve put in the work.”

Lawrence only lost three seniors from last season. This year’s squad has nine, and most have started on varsity since their freshman year. Not only has the number of returners helped the team start the year on the right foot on the pitch, it’s helped create a close dynamic within the team.

“Everybody wants (to win) for the seniors,” Erin Derby said. “I know for me being a senior, we all want it really badly. For a lot of us, it’s our last time playing the sport that we love.”

“We want to take advantage of this team dynamic, because it might not happen again,” Rylee Williams added. “We’re like family, so we have to go to state.”

The seniors on the team have gone through a gradual transformation of the program. After starting, and losing, their freshman year, the Lions improved, and finally showed in 2025 what they could look like at their peak. This year is all about finishing their careers at the state tournament.

“A lot of teams have recognized that we’re up and coming,” Elise Lawrence said. “We caught a lot of teams off guard last season.”

There’s a belief among the Lions in themselves and each other, and it comes from their success as a group in 2025. Knowing that they can do even better this year, that confidence is even higher.

The Lions are a fast team. No matter the position, Lawrence has speed from the top of the roster to the bottom. That is an advantage for the Lions, and they’ve already used it successfully in the first week of the season.

“We have a lot of speed on top, so we can play over and transition really quickly,” Maggie Wagner said. “I think that catches a lot of people off guard. I feel like we have some of the best speed in the (Sunflower) League.”

Not only is the team capable of playing with such speed thanks to its natural ability, the amount of time the Lions have spent playing with each other contributes to how fast they play. Each player knows what she’s doing and how the rest of the team thinks and operates. It allows the Lions to play one step ahead, both literally and figuratively.

“We know each other’s playing style,” Wagner said. “We know what they’re going to struggle in. There’s a lot of trust, so it’s easier to rely on each other.”

The Lions play 16 regular-season games in eight weeks before playoffs begin. That’s a relatively short duration, considering it’s all that’s left for a team that has spent so many years playing together. Although it’ll go quickly, the Lions are determined to make the most of it and their season and their bond with each other.

“We’re deep, we’ve got some talent,” Comparato said. “If we can stay healthy and they can keep this thing going, we can have a good run.”