July 2, 2026
WPSL 2026, Kansas City Current II (photo by Jeff DeVries)
By Andrew Mosier, WPSL Communications
It came down to the wire, but Kansas City Current II is the Heartland Division champion thanks to a 3-1 road win over FC Wichita to close out the season.
Had Current II not won at Wichita, it would have been a very different story after a neck-and-neck race with Oklahoma City FC that saw the two sides split its home-and-away series with the away side prevailing in both contests.
Current II finished divisional action 7-2-1 in its return to WPSL play after a three-year hiatus; Its only loss coming to Oklahoma City FC in Week Eight.
“Winning a division this competitive isn’t about one big moment—it’s about showing up every day, doing the little things well, and trusting the work you’ve put in. I thought our players did that exceptionally well,” Vasil Ristov, Kansas City Current II head coach, said.
Current II made a triumphant return to the league rolling past FC Wichita 12-0 in its season opener. Avery Clark and Taliana Kaufusi each had hattricks in the win, Alexa Heredia-Beltran scored twice, and four other players added goals to kick off the season. Clark would go on to lead the side, division, and conference in goals, finishing seven goals out of first place in the Golden Boot race.
After convincing wins over Sunflower State FC on the road and Union KC at home, Current II’s first blemish on its previously perfect season came on Thursday of Week Five with a 1-1 draw versus Union KC in Lee’s Summit. A shocking 0-0 home draw to Side FC 92 Tulsa two days later brought the high-flying Current II side back down to earth, making it a three-team race between Current II, OKCCF, and Union FC.
“The two draws were a good reminder that this league is incredibly competitive and that every opponent is capable of making life difficult,” Ristov said. “Instead of focusing on the points we dropped, we focused on the details that are within our control—our standards in training, our intensity, our decision-making, and our mentality.”
Going three-for-three in Week Seven helped vault Current II back to the top of the division race, picking up shutout wins at home over Sunflower State FC and on the road at Oklahoma City FC before exacting revenge over Tulsa to enter the final week of the regular season cruising to its second Heartland Division title before Oklahoma City FC made things interesting in a midweek clash at Riverside Stadium.
Three days later in Wichita, Ella Rudney, Syenna Haynesworth, and Clark scored goals in the 3-1 win that put Current II two points clear of OKCFC, three points clear of Union KC, and into the Midwest Conference Final Thursday, July 2 versus Gateway Division winners Lou Fusz Athletic in St. Louis.
“This is only one step. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but our focus now shifts to the next challenge,” Ristov said. “Opportunities like competing for a conference championship and a playoff berth are earned, and we’re excited to continue testing ourselves against top competition.”
