Kansas state soccer: Maize, Trinity Academy both end season with losses in title games
The Maize and Trinity Academy boys soccer teams saw their spirited runs to Kansas state championship matches end in losses to Kansas City-area dynasties on Saturday afternoon.
Maize, playing for its first state title in program history, lost 8-1 to St. Thomas Aquinas in the Class 5A championship in Spring Hill. It was the 16th state title for Aquinas, while Maize concluded a successful 17-win campaign.
“We ran into a buzzsaw,” Maize coach Mike Pfeifer said. “It was a different level than what we experienced all season long. Maize South and Eisenhower both had a couple of players you had to look out for, but Aquinas had players at every position you had to watch. We haven’t seen that level of skill and speed all season long.”
Meanwhile, in the Class 4-1A title game at Stryker Soccer Complex in Wichita, Bishop Miege topped Trinity, 3-1, for its fifth straight state title in a rematch of last season’s title game that Miege also won.
Trinity coach Mark Brooks said he was just grateful his team was able to compete for a championship this weekend after the school went to remote learning this week due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
“We didn’t know if we were going to be able to even play this week,” Brooks said. “We were a little worried we could even make it to play, so I was more than grateful to be able to play this far into the season.”
After playing Miege to a 1-1 road draw in the regular season less than a month ago, Trinity was encouraged by the result and believed it could win its third title in program history. But injuries mounted for the Knights during their playoff run, robbing them of the same offensive firepower they possessed in the first meeting.
That was evident on Saturday afternoon when Miege dominated the run of play in the first half to stake a 2-0 lead by halftime. Xander Christian scored the first goal after a rebound off the post, then Mauricio Salas scored from the spot after a hand ball by Trinity in the box.
“We didn’t play with the nerves like we did in the regular-season game,” Miege coach Nate Huppe said. “We jumped on them early and we haven’t given up more than two goals all season, so we kind of knew then and there that our defense probably just won it for us.”
Miege tacked on a third goal early in the second half when Trinity attempted to clear a threatening free kick and instead headed the ball into its own goal. The Knights clawed one back in the 62nd minute when senior Jon Heuer powered a header into the back of the net from a corner.
But Trinity (13-7-1) never could produce another goal to make things interesting in the final 20 minutes, as Miege (10-5-3) held on for its seventh championship in the last nine seasons. The Knights had just four seniors on their roster and Brooks said the team will return almost all of their starters next season.
“We’ll be back with almost everybody,” Brooks said. “Our juniors, they know that. This is the second time we’ve faced Miege in this game and I always enjoy playing them. They’re a class program and their coach is a class act.”
While Maize also lost in its title game, the Eagles (17-3-1) had arguably their most memorable season in school history. Maize was the only team to defeat Maize South, and did it twice.
Maize finished with 17 wins and reached the state championship game after sophomore goalkeeper Grant Wessley saved three of six penalties and senior Tanner Prophet netted the game-winning penalty kick for a shootout victory over Andover Central on Friday after four overtimes and six rounds of penalties.
Prophet once again delivered for Maize on Saturday, scoring the game’s only goal for Maize. But the title match was completely dominated by Aquinas (15-3-3) in its first state title since 2014. While Aquinas a senior-laden squad, Maize started five sophomores and would have started six if not for an injury.
“I’m extremely proud of the guys for their grit and guts that they played with all season long,” Pfeifer said. “How they played in the second half today was a testament to that. They proved to be they’re growing up as young men.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2020 at 4:53 PM.
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