BonnerSprings.com

DE SOTO — With an ominous sky overhead in the shadows of a cemetery, Bonner Springs’ girls soccer season came to an end at the hands of De Soto on Monday at De Soto High School.

The Bravettes did not have an answer for senior Carly Stanley, one of the best soccer players in the state, and they never adjusted to the rough play of the Wildcats in the first round of the Class 5-1A regional playoffs.

Stanley netted four goals and helped hand BSHS a 7-1 loss. The Wildcats advanced to play St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday, and STA won that game, 9-0.

Things started out well for the Bravettes when Alexis Clark placed the ball perfectly over the goaltender’s head for a goal and a 1-0 lead after just three minutes.

Two minutes later the game was tied.

Stanley crossed a shot in front of two defenders. The ball grazed the fingertips of BSHS goalkeeper Yesenia Hernandez and dropped into the net.

The Wildcats struck again five minutes later for their first lead of the game — a lead they would not give up.

Though Bonner controlled the ball for much of the first half, the Bravettes could not execute as efficiently as De Soto. They failed to place throw-ins and corner kicks, resulting in numerous turnovers.

Stanley produced a highlight goal in the 25th minute. She delivered a sliding, one-legged poke past Hernandez who had come out a little too far. Stanley tried to duplicate the same kind of goal a minute later, but the ball sailed — fortunately for Bonner — to the right of the goal. It was the fifth time the Wildcats had a true possession, and three of them resulted in goals.

Trailing 3-1 as the second half began, the Bravettes looked as if they were going to shy away from the strategy that led to controlling the ball so much in the first half. They were also intimidated by the physical play of the Wildcats — an elbow here, a two-handed shove there, a hard tackle or a high kick. It added up and the Bravettes never adjusted to the contact.

De Soto smelled blood in the water and quickly capitalized. It added three more goals in the first 12 minutes of the half, including two from Stanley, and sailed to the victory.

The Bravettes ended the season with a 5-11-1 record.

The loss brought to a close the careers of BSHS seniors Tessa Seaton and Alex Ardugo. Seaton will go down as the first player to compete in the program for four years. The team will return three juniors and 14 sophomores and freshmen.

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