SM East’s girls soccer team will do something this evening it’s never done before: face the Gardner-Edgerton Blazers.
[pullquote]SM East Soccer Regionals vs. Gardner-Edgerton
6 p.m. Tuesday, May 20
Shawnee Mission Soccer Complex
W. 95th St. & Nieman Rd.
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And that, says Lancers head coach Jamie Kelly is a good thing. As the top seed in their regional bracket, Kelly says it could be easy for his team to be lulled into complacency if they were facing a familiar foe in the first round. An unknown competitor, Kelly says, keeps everyone sharp.
“You know they’re going to be mentally sharp and ready to play, because they don’t know what to expect,” Kelly said of his team.
At 11-4-1, the Lancer are favorites against the 3-12-1 Blazers. But Kelly knows that regional play can cause jitters, and wants to make sure his team stays calm. If they play to their full potential, the Lancers have a chance to make a deep run in the postseason.
“The way our offense and defense play, we will create chances with every team we face,” he said. “The question is whether we can stay calm and take advantage of those opportunities.”
Should the Lancers prevail tonight, they will face the winner of tonight’s Blue Valley West and Olathe Northwest game in the regional finals Thursday.
The game starts tonight at 6 p.m. at the Shawnee Mission Soccer Complex on Field 3.
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