Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The memory still lingers with the returning members of the Hutchinson Community College women's soccer team who played in the 2024 Region 6 championship game and head coach Sammy Lane.
That memory is of the Cowley Tigers celebrating a Region 6 women's soccer championship after beating the Blue Dragons 4-2 in penalty kicks one year ago.
It's a memory the Blue Dragons have a chance to erase on Saturday.
The Blue Dragons have returned to the Region 6 Tournament championship game for the second-straight season and the opponent is the Cowley Tigers.
Kickoff for the Division I Region 6 Championship game is at 2 p.m. Saturday at the KCK Soccer Complex in Kansas City, Kansas. The match will be streamed live on the KJCCC Network, which is a pay-per-view service.
The Blue Dragons have not lost a game since losing 1-0 at Garden City on September 27. Since then, the Blue Dragons have gone unbeaten in 11-straight matches (8 wins, 3 ties).
In that streak was a 2-2 tie against Cowley on October 4 at Cowley. The Blue Dragons lost 2-1 to the Tigers in the season's first meeting on September 10 at the Salthawk Soccer Complex.
The Blue Dragons make their eighth appearance in the Region 6 championship game. The Blue Dragons are 3-4 in championship games. Hutchinson won the region in 2007 (defeating Johnson County 2-1), 2010 (defeating Butler 1-0 in overtime) and 2011 (defeating Butler 1-0).
The Blue Dragons are led by freshman forwards Isabela Puccinelli and Poppy Smith, who have 10 goals each. Puccinelli has 30 points this season with 10 assists. Smith has 25 points, adding five assists to that total. Freshman midfielder Olivia Tamaki has a team-high 31 points with a team-high 13 assists and nine goals.
Tamaki and Smith were first-team all-KJCCC players this season and Puccinelli was a second-teamer.
Freshman Evie Carvell is in goal for Hutchinson. Carvell is 10-3-4 this season with a 0.82 goal-against average and .765 save percentage. She had six shutouts this season. Carvell was a second-team all-KJCCC performer this season.
Leading the defense is two-time KJCCC Defensive Player of the Year Anastasia Pokrandt, sophomore all-conference defender Teagan Garrison, freshman Lucy Bacon and sophomore Beatrice Sales. Pokrandt is the 2025 co-Defensive Player of the Year with Cowley's Stfeany Silva.
The combination of those five players are the reason the Dragons are allowing only 0.68 goals per game.
The Blue Dragons advanced to the finals with a pair of 1-0 victories in the Region 6 Tournament. Tamaki scored 7 minutes into overtime in the first round to lead the Blue Dragons to a 1-0 win over Dodge City. Freshman Isabella Van Fleet scored in the first half of Wednesday's semifinal to defeat Butler 1-0.
Cowley is led by conference Offensive Player of the Year Saki Sanno, who has 13 goals, 13 assists and 39 points. Sara Cortes also has 39 points with 18 goals and three assists. Goalkeeper Julia Suelly has a 0.61 goals against average and has allowed 10 goals in 17 games this season.
The Tigers have had a much easier road to the finals defeating eighth-seed Coffeyville 3-0 and routing fourth-seeded Barton 6-0 on Wednesday.