Indian soccer rolls in home opener

By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net

Hays High School girls' soccer coach Chris Michaelis joked after Tuesday's home opener that assistant coach Matt Brooks has already earned his pay check.

It was Brooks who suggested at halftime of the Indians' fourth game of the season that junior Kelsey Hedlund should move from midfield to a forward position.

Since the switch, Hays High has become an offensive juggernaut, and Tuesday's game was no different.

The Indians struck for two early goals and cruised past rival Great Bend 4-1 in Western Athletic Conference action at the HHS field.

Hays High trailed 1-0 at Dodge City when Hedlund made the switch. The Indians scored four goals in the second half -- including one by Hedlund -- and won 4-1.

Hays High, which scored two goals in its first three and a half matches -- including one on a penalty kick -- has scored 16 goals in its last three and a half games, with the left-footed Hedlund the striker on the left side of the Indians' 3-4-3 formation.

Hedlund had a goal and an assist against Great Bend. She now has six goals and two assists for the season, all since her move to forward.

"Kelsey has done a lot of great things," Michaelis said. "She would be the first one to tell you Kiley (Johansen) has done a great job looking to the back side."

Johansen, a senior outside midfielder on the right side, looks for Hedlund on the left side, and vice versa.

"She crosses it, I get it, I cross it, she gets it," Hedlund said of the centering passes she and Johansen have used to devastating success against Indian opponents.

Hedlund prefers forward over midfielder, where her attention is divided between offense and defense.

"I like forward better," Hedlund said. "You focus more on offense, rather than both (offense and defense)."

Hedlund scored in the first minute Tuesday for Hays High (6-1 overall, 3-0 WAC), with Johansen getting the assist. The Indians scored again in the sixth minute, with junior Elisha Schultz scoring off an assist from Hedlund.

Those two early goals were too much for Great Bend (2-4, 1-3).

"They got behind, the girls struggled to catch up," Great Bend coach Paul Zamarripa said.

Hays High's back line didn't allow a shot on goal in the first half, and the Indians made it 3-0 at halftime on a goal by Johansen on a pass from Hedlund in the 15th minute.

"That's one of the things we're after, get the girls off to a quick start," Michaelis said.

Senior striker Betsy Dreiling scored the Indians' goal in the second half after just missing scoring on shots over the cross bar, one in the first half, and again in the second half. She finally scored in the 65th minute when her centering pass from the right side hit the far post and bounced into the net.

"That's what she will do," Michaelis said. "She puts pressure on the other team."

Great Bend avoided a shutout in the 75th minute when sophomore Perla Hernandez received a well-placed through ball from sophomore Gabriela Moreno past the Indian defense, and beat HHS senior goalkeeper Lindsey Dinkel.

"I wanted our girls to focus the whole 80 minutes, and not have mental breakdowns," Michaelis said. "Give Great Bend credit -- one mental mistake cost us."

Hays High will continue WAC action Monday at Garden City. A win would give the Indians their best start in program history. The 2005 team started the season 6-1, which was matched by the Indians on Tuesday.

"It's just the chemistry of the girls this year; they have fun on the field," Michaelis said. "That has been a big reason for the success we are having."

Game Notes

Great Bend's goal snapped a streak of 280 consecutive scoreless minutes by Hays High, and denied the Indians their third straight shutout. ... Schultz, normally a midfielder, moved up to forward Tuesday due to the absence of sophomore striker Jessie Steffen. Steffen, who was limping on the HHS sideline Tuesday, did not play after injuring her right knee in Monday's win at Junction City. Michaelis won't know how long Steffen will be sidelined until she is examined by a doctor. "I thought (Schultz) did a great job," Michaelis said. ... Dinkel made one save, while Great Bend junior keeper Larami Klein made seven saves. ... In Hays High's six wins, the Indians have four shutouts and allowed one goal in the other two matches.

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