photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Bishop Seabury senior Xeva Oldridge goes to strike the ball during the Seahawks' game against Bishop Miege on Monday, May 25, 2026, at Bishop Seabury Academy in Lawrence.

A historic season for Bishop Seabury girls soccer concluded on Monday.

In their first 4-1A state quarterfinal appearance, the Seahawks were toppled by powerhouse Bishop Miege, 5-1, at Bishop Seabury, as the team finished its season 14-4.

“I’m just incredibly proud of the girls,” Bishop Seabury assistant coach Will Whipple said. “They worked really hard this season. We went in having goals for ourselves to get to this spot for the first time, and I’m incredibly proud of them (for) reaching those goals.”

Not only did Bishop Seabury qualify for the quarterfinals for the first time ever, but the team also won the Kaw Valley League Championship for the first time, one of many highlights throughout the season.

“The high (of the season) was, I would say, beating Kansas City Christian, which won us the conference,” head coach Ivo Ivanov said. “It took overtime and a golden goal to win it, and that’s always very exciting.”

The Seahawks will lose two important pieces in defense as both Xeva Oldridge and Sydney Walter graduate, but Ivanov says the two captains have helped create a framework for future teams.

“They kind of gave us a blueprint for success in the future,” Ivanov said. “This team has a bright future… We’re in a good position for next year.”

The nine-time defending state champion Stags had full control of possession from the start, earning two corners in the first five minutes to put immediate pressure on the Seahawks.

The Seahawks had a few downfield chances of their own in the first 10 minutes thanks to some long passes, but they resulted in easy clearances for the Stags’ back line.

Whipple said the team wanted to take advantage of its speed with forwards Presley Peterson and Izzy Gonzalez, but the overall goal was to play through the middle of the field as much as possible.

“We knew their defense was a little shaky,” Whipple said. “We knew that we’ve got some speed on our wings that we can take advantage of, and I think we had a couple opportunities where we got in behind them and had, unfortunately, not the finishing touch that we needed.”

Whipple added: “Our game is to try and play through the middle, get to the outside and cross in some balls. (Bishop Miege was) pretty strong in the middle, so we struggled a little bit to get that going.”

After two more corners were cleared by Bishop Seabury, Bishop Miege didn’t fail on the fifth as Gaby Calderon slotted a shot from the left wing for the first goal in the 13th minute.

It didn’t take long for the Stags to find a second goal as Paige Jackson scored in the 15th minute on a shot from outside the 18-yard box to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Four minutes later, Bishop Seabury earned its first corner kick and didn’t think twice about wasting the scoring opportunity as Peterson played a ball for fellow freshman Sophie Borroto-Novick, who slotted a shot into the back of the net through a forest of defenders.

“That was an opportunity for us to really turn the momentum,” Ivanov said.

Ivanov added that he felt like his team caught the visitors off guard on the offensive end and that it was “beautiful to watch” the team compete and play connected for 80 minutes.

“I felt like we were doing really, really well,” Ivanov said. “Our first touch kind of betrayed us a few times. Our girls were connecting in the midfield. We had continuity between defense, midfield, and offense that (Bishop Miege) didn’t expect.”

The Seahawks held off multiple attempts, including a few high saves by freshman goalkeeper Amelia Rozzi, and were primed to keep the deficit at one before Calderon assisted goal by Izzie Kamer off a free kick in the 38th minute to put the Stags back up by two right before the half.

It took just two minutes into the second half for Bishop Miege to score on a breakaway, and another point came on Jackson’s second goal of the match in the 36th minute that ended up being the final goal scored.

Bishop Seabury had multiple chances in the 63rd and 65th minutes thanks to a pair of fouls by the Stags, but nothing came of either opportunity.

Despite Monday’s result, the Bishop Seabury girls soccer program is surging in the right direction. With a majority of the roster returning in 2027, the Seahawks are ready to add to their recent success and continue to compete for league and state championships.

“This is a building moment for us,” Whipple said. “We know we’re young, and being able to put ourselves in these big games (where) there’s pressure, we’re at home, we’ve got fans cheering for us. I think that’s huge for (the players) to feel. And I told them after the game, ‘Know what this feels like. Know that this is what it’s like to lose in these big games… hold that feeling and let’s push towards something bigger next year.'”