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Following an 18-5 season where the girls soccer team ramped up the difficulty of its schedule, coach Jackie Haller can look in her crystal ball and see good things for this team down the road.

“We had two seniors, and we finished the season with one,” Haller said. “Our two seniors were huge contributors and did a tremendous amount for our team in many ways, but we really only finished on the field with one of them (Katelyn Fischer). We are virtually walking back out there (next year) with the people we walked off with.”

No one deserves to have their season end the way Kearney’s did.

In a Class 2 District 8 semifinal match with Platte County on May 19, the Bulldogs lost 1-0 on an own goal.

As left back Casey Cordell jumped to clear a ball out of the air, instead of getting the front of her head on the ball, she was a fraction of a second to late, and it skidded off the back of her head over goalkeeper Morgan Hartzler and into the net.

Sophomore forward Alex Massey was beyond the point of frustration. Having just missed chipping Excelsior Springs goalie Hannah Murphy for what would have been a back-breaking goal, Massey could hardly contain herself.

Like any elite player though, Massey did not miss her next chance. After a clearance deep in Kearney’s end, Massey found herself on the end of the pass with a Tiger on her tail and Murphy coming out of the box.

Massey calmly positioned herself, shielded the defender, and slotted the ball into the left corner of the net to give Kearney a 2-0 lead, and what would prove to be the final in a Class 2 District 8 quarterfinal game at North Kansas City Schools District Activities Complex on Monday, May 17.

Determining the top four seeds was not going to be easy at the Class 2 District 8 girls soccer seed meeting.

No. 1 seed Platte County had beaten No. 3 seed Smithville twice, but they also had lost to No. 2 seed Staley twice. No. 4 seed Kearney split two games with Staley, had not played Smithville and lost to Platte County in a controversial ending.

“I was hoping we might be able to pull out the third seed but not playing Smithville … it was close,” Haller said. “Smithville got the third seed with 22 points, and we had 24. If one person had swung their vote the other way, we would have been third, and they would have been fourth.”

With the season winding down to its conclusion, Jackie Haller wants her team prepared for a grueling district soccer tournament. That is why Kearney will have seen three top-notch teams within a week’s span.

The stretch began May 4 with a home match against Staley and will conclude Tuesday, May 11 with another home game against Platte County. Sandwiched in between those two games are contests with Ruskin and Park Hill.

“You have to play like this to advance,” Haller said. “We just need to tighten our shoes, lace up our boots and go for it, I guess. I wish we had a little lighter schedule this week, so we won’t be so leg weary by the end, but next week is lighter. That will give us a few days to rest before districts.

Three times this year the Bulldogs have faced the highest of high-pressure situations in a soccer game — a penalty- kick shootout. Three times they have walked away victorious.

Yes, this Kearney girls soccer team is learning to love the situation and face no fear about entering a PK shootout — especially with goalkeeper Morgan Hartzler in the net.

Affectionately dubbed the “Mo Zone” by assistant coach Scott Henrichs, Hartzler has owned the 12 yards from the spot kick to the net. In doing so, she has helped the Bulldogs to a 3-0 record in shootouts with wins over Eureka (7-6), Ozark (8-7) and Harrisonville (7-6).

When the Kearney girls soccer team takes the field at Raytown tonight, it will be the third game in as many nights.

With a home contest against Grandview on Tuesday, April 20, and an away contest recently added against Harrisonville on Wednesday, April 21, the Bulldogs may be playing on some tired legs tonight.

In girls soccer coach Jackie Haller’s mind, there is still a free kick that needs to be taken. Kearney was denied that opportunity in a controversial 2-1 loss to Platte County on Thursday, April 15.

Trailing late in the Suburban Small Six contest, Kearney had a shot batted down by the hand of a Platte County player intentionally — which normally results in an automatic yellow or red card and a clock stoppage — only the referee did not see it because he was looking at his watch.

Girls soccer coach Jackie Haller was really excited to go to the Christian County Tournament in Ozark to see some good competition.

Kearney got all that and more as they battled to a 3-0 record Friday, April 9, and Saturday, April 10.

The Bulldogs won their first and last game in dramatic shootouts, sandwiching a 5-0 win over Joplin in between.

This week will not only be a test to see where the Kearney girls soccer team is at mentally but also physically.

If the weather holds off, the Bulldogs could play five games in five days, concluding with a trip to the Christian County Tournament on Friday, April 9, and Saturday, April 10.

Kearney will open the tournament with a 7 p.m. game Friday against Eureka. Like most of the teams in the tournament, Kearney coach Jackie Haller is not too familiar with Eureka.