By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Monday was a night of firsts for the Shawnee Heights girls soccer team.
After a loss and a tie to open the season, the T-Birds picked up their first win of the year while scoring their first goals of 2026 in a 3-0 shutout over city rival Topeka High at Hummer Sports Park, while Heights assistant Josiah Juarez, filling in for veteran T-Bird coach Nic Simons, picked up win No. 1 as a head coach.
Shawnee Heights junior Morgan Robinson scored two goals Monday as the T-Birds picked up their first win with a 3-0 shutout over city rival Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Juarez was running the show Monday while Simons missed the game to be with his wife and newborn child, born over the weekend.
"I was just a little bit nervous -- it comes with the game -- but that's the exciting part, especially with us needing a win,'' Juarez said. "And I'm just excited we got it done tonight.''
The T-Birds didn't miss a beat under Juarez, taking a 2-0 halftime lead on a pair of goals from junior standout Morgan Robinson and adding a third goal on a shot from junior Nina Bolanos in the second half.
Robinson scored the only goal the T-Birds would need 5:50 into the game off a corner kick from Bolanos.
Shawnee Heights junior Nina Bolanos (2) had a goal and an assist in Monday's 3-0 win over city rival Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Robinson scored her second goal with 19:39 left in the opening half to give the T-Birds their two-goal halftime advantage before Bolanos wrapped up the scoring with 8:33 remaining.
Senior MacKenzie Mertel picked up the shutout in goal for the T-Birds.
Shawnee Heights girls soccer assistant Josiah Juarez picked up his first win as a head coach in Monday's 3-0 T-Bird win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I thought we were (solid) for the most part,'' Juarez said. "We kept our game plan and just executed it really well and continued to do it throughout the whole game.''
Shawnee Heights will play its second game of a three-game week on Tuesday night, opening its United Kansas Conference schedule at De Soto.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 3, TOPEKA HIGH 0
Shawnee Heights (1-1-1) 2 1 -- 3
Topeka High (2-3-0) 0 0 -- 0
Shawnee Heights -- Goals: Morgan Robinson 2, Nina Bolanos. Shutout: MacKenzie Mertel.
