Five things to watch at the Kansas state soccer tournaments

The Kansas state soccer tournaments are scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Here are five things to watch:

1. Aquinas eyes No. 7

St. Thomas Aquinas has won six consecutive Kansas Class 5A state championships, and yet it might actually be an underdog in its semifinal matchup, scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at the Andover District Complex.

The Saints, 13-4-2, face unbeaten Maize, 18-0-0, which is ranked No. 4 in the country by Top Drawer Soccer. Maize has scored 30 goals in its three playoff games, and it averages more than five per game. But Aquinas has allowed only 0.35 goals per game this season, and it’s yet to give one up during the postseason.

Freshman Hallie Klanke leads the Saints with 11 goals and 14 assists. She’s netted two game-winning goals during the playoffs.

2. SM West aims for perfection

Shawnee Mission West, the Sunflower League champions, will take an undefeated record into the Class 6A Final Four, but it has certainly been tested along the way.

The Vikings, 18-0-1, needed overtime to defeat Blue Valley Northwest in the regional championship, and they squeaked by Blue Valley 1-0 in the state quarterfinals.

The SM West defense has been hard to solve this season. It has allowed only nine goals in 19 games. Sinclaire Miramontez was the league’s defender of the year, and Ashton Dvorak was the goalkeeper of the year.

3. Class 4A-1A battle

De Soto and Bishop Miege entered the postseason as the top-ranked teams in Kansas Class 4-1A in the coaches association, and they have both cruised to the Final Four in Topeka, allowing only one goal between them.

Miege, 11-6-2, has recorded 12 shutouts. The offense comes from a variety of sources, with 15 different players scoring this season.

De Soto, 14-3-2, has outscored opponents 70-10 this season and takes a wealth of experience into the Final Four. It returned all but one starter from last year’s fourth-place team. Tanith Beal leads the team with 18 goals.

4. BV West looks to return to top

Blue Valley West has won four state championships since 2002. It will play Washburn Rural in the Class 6A semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday at Junction City High School.

BV West, 15-2-2, presents a balanced scoring attack, with 21 players either finding the back of the net or assisting on a goal this season.

The Jaguars won the Eastern Kansas League.

5. Mill Valley seeks its first title

In search of its first state championship in program history, Mill Valley has returned to the Kansas Class 5A Final Four for the third time in five seasons.

With the help of a stingy defense.

Mill Valley, 17-1, has allowed more than one goal only once in its 18 matches, and it has posted 11 shutouts.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Five things to watch at the Kansas state soccer tournaments."