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Lincoln Southwest’s Maddie Schmeling (front left) and Charley Kort (front right) carry the team’s nameplate after the Silver Hawks defeated Lincoln East 3-1 in a Class A state tournament Friday at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
The final days of the weeklong state soccer tournament is going to have a first — and a first in a long time.
Lincoln Southwest will play Lincoln Pius X in the state championship match in Class A girls at 8 p.m. on Monday. The match is on Nebraska Public Media.
The boys championship matches are on Tuesday.
Monday’s Class A match will be the first time in 36 years of the NSAA state soccer tournament that two teams from Lincoln will play each other in a championship match — girls or boys.
And for the first time since 2005, a Lincoln team will be the state champion in the Class A girls division — a division where Omaha area schools have often had most of the final four teams at state.
Southwest and Pius X have already played twice this season, with one win apiece, each by a 1-0 score.
The state soccer tournament offers a unique format where the three rounds of the tournament are spread over eight days. Pius X played its first-round match last Monday, while severe weather delayed Southwest’s first match until last Tuesday. The semifinals were on Friday.
All 28 matches of the tournament are played on just one field at Morrison Stadium in downtown Omaha. That differs from some state tournaments, where the state tournament is played at a large soccer complex on grass fields with multiple matches played at the same time.
Nebraska’s format allows each of the teams that make the tournament to play at Morrison Stadium, an elite soccer-specific stadium that is home to the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s programs for Creighton.
For the girls championship matches, there can sometimes be more than 3,000 supporters in attendance.
And with just four matches scheduled each day, any matches that can’t be played due to severe weather can be made up the next day.
The field is larger than many high school soccer fields, which are often limited to the area inside a track stadium.
Lincoln Pius X’s Josie McCabe (28) center rushes to join her teammates in celebration after the Bolts defeated Omaha Marian in a Class A state tournament match Friday at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
“It feels like a professional soccer stadium,” Southwest coach Thomas Nettleton said.
The players get introduced before the match, and there is a large video board that shows highlights of the goals. And with a roof over part of the seating, it can get loud at times during the match.
“One of the complaints from our girls was that the music was too loud, and I never thought in a million years that I would hear a teenager tell me that the music is too loud,” Nettleton said. “They do such a good job of building an environment where you can tell the kids are important.”
For the biggest matches of the tournament, there are usually fans seated on all four sides of the field. There are a variety of seating options, including covered chairback seating close to the team benches.
“When you’re on the field, you get the backdrop of the city and you got tall buildings,” Nettleton said. “You feel like you’re on a big scale and you’re inside of a really high-level environment. It’s just so awesome for kids.”
Having days off between matches should make the quality of play better. Playing high-level matches can be a physical and mental grind, with the players at the midfield position running as much as five miles during each match.
“It feels like a professional soccer stadium,” Southwest coach Thomas Nettleton said of Morrison Stadium, the site of the weeklong state soccer tournament.
The tournament format means the teams have practices between matches and enough time to prepare for each opponent. On Saturday morning the Pius X team practiced at 7 a.m.
“The girls were all smiles (Saturday morning). Still practicing is better than not, that’s for sure,” Pius X coach Steve Andersen said.
They had another practice on Sunday evening, to get ready for the late start time on Monday.
The Pius X coaches have had to try to keep the players focused during the long tournament as the school year comes to an end. Some players had graduation parties to attend this weekend, and there’s a senior breakfast on Monday.
As of now, Pius X has just one player committed to play college soccer – Norah Stewart at Hastings. Pius X made it to the Class A final for the first time and did so in the final year before going back down to Class B.
“We got a couple of girls that play three sports, others are two-sport athletes and there are five of them that are just full-time year-round soccer players,” Andersen said. “It’s a nice mix of everybody, and everybody brings there are own special ingredients and makes us the team that we are.”
Lincoln Southwest’s Kianna Perez (19) slide tackles Lincoln East’s Scout Waite (24) in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s Bella Bingham (25) slide tackles the ball out from under Lincoln Southwest’s Mallory Arehart (8) in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s Leila Nachi (left) and Lincoln Southwest’s Morgan Bauer (right) battle for the ball in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s MaKynlie Cade (left) and Lincoln Southwest’s Ainsley Roeder chase after a pass in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln Southwest’s Maya Stevenson (left) and Lincoln East’s Halle Reiter (right) react after a shot by Stevenson falls short in the first half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s Kate Eggett (bottom) loses her footing while dribbling the ball against Lincoln Southwest’s Maya Stevenson (left) in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s Leila Nachi (left) and Lincoln East’s MaKynlie Cade (right) reacts after a shot on the goal falls short in the first half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s Leila Nachi (3) takes a shot on the goal while defended by Lincoln Southwest’s Izzie Kiser (6) in the first half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln Southwest’s Maya Stevenson (17) and Lincoln East’s Elizabeth Burhoop (1) battle for position as the recieve a throw in in the first half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln Southwest’s Maddie Schmeling (front left) and Charley Kort (front right) carry the team’s nameplate after the Silver Hawks defeated Lincoln East 3-1 in a Class A state tournament Friday at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
Lincoln East’s Scout Waite (left) is comforted by Bella Bingham after the Spartans loss to Lincoln Southwest during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East goalkeeper Emma Eilers (bottom) tries to gain control of the ball while her teammates MaKynlie Cade (first right) and Halle Reiter (right) battle for possession against Lincoln Southwest’s Peyton Held (left) and Kianna Perez (first left) in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln Southwest’s Charley Kort (left) reacts after scoring a penalty kick against Lincoln East in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East goalkeeper Emma Eilers dives as she attempts to block a penalty kick by Lincoln Southwest’s Charley Kort (not pictured) in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s Leila Nachi (3) goes up against Lincoln Southwest’s Maddie Schmeling (20) as they attempt to head the a ball in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s MaKynlie Cade (20) is defended by Lincoln Southwest’s Ainsley Roeder (2) as she attempts to gain control of the ball in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln Southwest goalkeerp Clara Fundus (00) makes a stop in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln Southwest’s Kianna Perez (19) is pushed by Lincoln East’s Brynn Hershberger (10) as they vie for the ball in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln Southwest’s Maddie Schmeling (first right) jumps into the arms of Kianna Perez (second right) after Schmeling scored against Lincoln East during a Class A state semifinal game Friday at Morrison Stadium.
Lincoln East’s Brynn Hershberger (10) defends Lincoln Southwest’s Maya Stevenson (17) as she attempts a shot on the goal in the first half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln Southwest players celebrate a goal in the first half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s Kate Eggett (5) celebrates after a goal against Lincoln Southwest in the first half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s Kate Eggett (right) reacts after scoring a goal on Lincoln Southwest in the first halfduring a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s Kate Eggett (5) scores a goal on Lincoln Southwest in the first half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln Southwest’s Thea Martin (22) kicks the ball away while defended by Lincoln East’s Kate Eggett (5) in the first half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln East’s Scout Waite (24) and Lincoln Southwest’s Charley Kort (21) vie for possession of the ball in the first half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Omaha Marian’s Paige Miller (14) defends Pius X’s Cammie Hodge (25) as she heads the ball in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Omaha Marian goalkeeper Hayden Blaney (00) dives onto the ball as Cleo Washington (1) slows down Pius X’s Emily Krings (24) in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Omaha Marian goalkeeper Hayden Blaney (00) dives for a the ball after it is shot in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Pius X’s Kate Vacek (27) dribbles the ball while defended by Omaha Marian’s Caroline Schwab (2) and Izzy Snowden (12) in the second half during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Pius X players pose for the camera in front of their fans after the thunderbolts defeated Omaha Marian 2-1 during a Class A state soccer tournament game on Friday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in OmahaFriday, May 10, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha
Lincoln Pius X’s Josie McCabe (28) center rushes to join her teammates in celebration after the Bolts defeated Omaha Marian in a Class A state tournament match Friday at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
Lincoln Pius X’s Gabby Tanner (left) embraces Grace Diederich (first left) after Diederich’s goal against Omaha Marian in a Class A state semifinal game Friday at Morrison Stadium.
Reach Brent C. Wagner at bwagner@journalstar.com or 402-473-7435.
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Southwest’s boys and girls coaches share an office — and it’s made for some fun mornings after a lot of winning has both Silver Hawks teams cr…
As the Southwest girls head to the state tournament ranked No. 1, here’s a closer look at the Silver Hawks.
For the second straight season, Southwest is in the state title match — and it will be a battle of Lincoln teams Monday night in Omaha.
With a win against Millard West, the Silver Hawks have now beaten the other seven teams to qualify for state in Class A this season.
Lincoln Southwest’s Maddie Schmeling (front left) and Charley Kort (front right) carry the team’s nameplate after the Silver Hawks defeated Lincoln East 3-1 in a Class A state tournament Friday at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
Lincoln Pius X’s Josie McCabe (28) center rushes to join her teammates in celebration after the Bolts defeated Omaha Marian in a Class A state tournament match Friday at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
“It feels like a professional soccer stadium,” Southwest coach Thomas Nettleton said of Morrison Stadium, the site of the weeklong state soccer tournament.
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