Thunderstorms, some heavy during the morning hours, then skies turning partly cloudy during the afternoon. High around 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..
A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: September 22, 2023 @ 4:47 am
Manhattan High defender Mikayla Bird and Shawnee Heights defender/forward Lailah Benz go for the ball during their game Thursday, May 11, 2023, at Bishop Stadium. The Indians beat the Thunderbirds, 2-0.
Staff photo by Lewis MarienManhattan High girls’ soccer is headed to the state semifinals for the fifth straight season.
The No. 4 seed Indians blitzed top-seeded Garden City 4-0 Tuesday in the 6A West quarterfinals, their second-straight road upset of a higher-seeded team in the postseason.
Head coach Mike Sanchez said it was a long bus ride and, as a result, his team needed about 20 minutes to get settled into the match.
Mikayla Bird put Manhattan (12-5-2) on the board with a goal off an assist from Bailey Stanley. That was the only score of the opening 40 minutes, and the Indians went into halftime holding a slim 1-0 lead.
But they poured it on in the second half.
Jada Dibbini made it 2-0 with an unassisted goal, and then Emery Ruliffson put on the finishing touches with a pair of goals off of free kicks.
Ruliffson now has a team-high 24 goals, while Reese Snowden has 23. It is the first time in Sanchez’s 12 seasons at the helm in which two players have had 20-plus goals in the same year.
However, he added it was nice to see Bird and Dibbini — two players outside the “usual suspects” of goal-scorers — net a ball each.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Taylor McHugh and the Indians’ defense’s shutout of the Buffaloes (13-3-1) was their seventh in a row, and they have not allowed a goal since April 29.
“We have a great goalkeeper back there in Taylor, a team captain,” Sanchez said. “She’s got Crinnea Turner, another team captain, in front of her. Obviously, we have experience with the other backs, minus Kameron (Felice). Cameron’s really stepped up as a freshman and embrace that centerback role.We’ve got Chloe Porter and the Emonie Christion. I think that all five of them have been tremendous.”
With the victory, Manhattan advances to the state semifinals for the second year in a row. The Indians will take on Shawnee Mission East (17-2) at 5 p.m. Friday at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.
Sanchez said his squad’s experience playing in the state semifinals will be a significant strength as it faces some of the top teams in the state.
“They know the teams that come out of the East (region) are pretty tough, and that’s why we have teams from the east on our schedule, so that we’re better prepared going into these games,” he said.
Manhattan didn’t make it back to town after Tuesday’s game until 2 a.m., so Sanchez said Wednesday’s practice was “pretty light.”
By game time on Friday, though, he expects everyone to be ready to go.
“We know why we’re there,” Sanchez said. “We know what we’re there to play for, what our mission is.”
The 6A state championship game is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, while the third-place match will take place at noon Saturday.
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