​Missed opportunities lead to Eagles’ season ending loss to Jaguars

by Michael Smith


Grain Valley couldn’t have asked for a better start.

The Eagles girls soccer game had their biggest game of the season in the Class 4 District 6 championship contest against Blue Springs South.

Well, they came out swinging.

Senior Emma Thiessen made a free kick near the sideline on a cross that snuck inside the far post to give the Eagles a 1-0 edge during the 1st minute.

From there, it was all Blue Springs South as it scored three unanswered goals as Grain Valley’s stellar season came to an end in a 3-1 loss Thursday at the Blue Springs High School soccer field.

For the Eagles, it was all about missed opportunities following Thiessen’s score.

There were a pair of open shots from Thiessen and sophomore Radleigh Childers inside the South penalty box in the second half. Thiessen didn’t get enough power on her shot, which led to an easy save from goalkeeper Siman Loethen. Childers didn’t get enough umph behind a header attempt late in the second half, which also resulted in a routine save for Loethen.

There were also a pair of times Loethen came off her line, leaving an empty net behind her, but the Eagles couldn’t get a shot on frame.

“South defends really well, but we had our opportunities,” Grain Valley head coach Brett Lewis said. “When you play a team as athletic as South, you have to finish your opportunities and the ball didn’t bounce our way tonight.”

South (15-4-1) controlled possession more a good chunk of the game and it didn’t take long to regain the lead. Early in the first half, junior Norah Oyler scored two goals. She had one off a rebound after her header was blocked by the Grain Valley defense.

The other came on an unassisted goal in which she dribbled inside the top of the 18-yard box and fired past Eagles goalkeeper Alayna Maybell.

“We gave up two really quick that was uncharacteristic of our defense,” Lewis said.

South sophomore Mary Hoffman then all but dashed the hopes of a Grain Valley comeback in the 64th minute when she buried a shot inside the far past from the right sideline to give her team a two-score advantage.

The loss ended the high school soccer careers of one of the best senior classes in the history of the girls soccer program. The Eagles (20-5) will lose five seniors to graduation, including Thiessen, a multi-time, all-state selection, and team captain who will play soccer at Truman State University next spring.

“Our senior class is so special to me,” Lewis said. “When I first started here at Grain Valley was their freshman year. They just elevated our program so much. Emma was a leader her sophomore year, she was a captain.

“Emma, (Meghan) Knust, Sophia (Giuliano) and that whole senior group was a fantastic group. They worked their tails off and I am so proud of them.”