Welcome to Top Sports News
Trojans, Chargers battle to 1-1 soccer deadlock
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Two Topeka soccer teams who are pouring it on down the stretch battled to a 1-1 tie Wednesday night at Hummer Sports Park.
Topeka High senior Bruno Nunez (10) celebrates his goal in Wednesday's 1-1 tie with USD 501 rival Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka West junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera (9) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring the Chargers' lone goal on a PK in a 1-1 tie with Topeka High Wednesday night at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka West hosted Topeka High, hoping to avenge a thrilling 2-1 loss two weeks earlier. But both team’s goalkeepers turned away a barrage of shots to preserve the 1-1 tie through two overtime periods.
Twenty minutes into the first period, Topeka High got on the scoreboard first on a free kick blast by senior Bruno Nuñez.
However, the Trojans didn’t protect that lead for even one minute of game action. When Topeka High was called for a foul near their goal, the Chargers were rewarded with a penalty kick that junior Diego Gonzalez-Talavera hammered past Trojan keeper Billy Lutz.
Each team saw near misses swatted away or gobbled up by the goalkeepers the rest of the night.
“Every year, every game that we see (Topeka High), we know it’s going to be competitive, hard fought. And this game was nothing short,” said Topeka West coach Josh Kutter. “Both teams played all out. Both goalkeepers had to make their amazing saves. As stressful as it is, it’s fun to watch and I’m proud of both sides.”
The Chargers stand at 10-2-2 following the tie with Topeka High, who are now 7-4-2. Trojans coach Derek Snook said his hopes to repeat the 2-1 victory of two weeks ago came up just short.
Topeka High senior goalkeeper Billy Lutz makes a diving save in Wednesday's 1-1 tie with Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
“We had a couple (of shots) that we should have tucked away, no doubt. And maybe they did as well,” Snook said. “I don’t know that they had the essentially point-blank shots that we did. They were shooting from afar. The best game was being played 120 yards apart and both goalkeepers were just on top of it.”
Washburn soccer rides hot streak into MIAA road games
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University women's soccer team is on a legitimate hot streak, posting four wins and a tie over its last five games while not allowing a single goal.
The Ichabods, 5-2-2 overall and 2-0-1 in the MIAA, will be looking to continue their run with road games at Missouri Southern (6 p.m.) on Friday and at Pittsburg State (1 p.m.) on Sunday.
Freshman Leah Henke has a team-high five goals on the season for Washburn soccer. [File photo/TSN]
Former Washburn Rural star Kate Hinck has scored two goals this fall for 5-2-2 Washburn soccer. [File photo/TSN]
"That's kind of what we talked about as a team is the callouses of success and how hard work prepares you for more hard work and success,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "There's a difference between trying to get a team there and then once you've reached that level, 'OK, here's the benchmark, now it's just maintaiing the benchmark.' ''
Washburn graduated a strong senior class off the team that won back-to-back MIAA titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament both seasons, but Phillips is very pleased with the progress his Ichabods have made this fall.
"They're doing a really good job,'' he said. "I had to become more patient with them the last few weeks and allow them the space to go and make decisions. I think I was trying to stifle that a little bit and it's funny how trust works because once you give them the freedom and they do it, inherently you develop more trust throughout the process.
"It's working through the unknown until it's the known.''
Washburn freshman Leah Henke starred again last Friday night in a 3-0 Ichabod win over Nebraska-Kearney, assisting on fellow freshman Kate Hinck's opening goal and then scoring the game's final goal in the second half after Shaye Taylor scored off an assist from Aubrey Tanksley to give WU a 2-0 halftime advantage.
Henke is tied for third in the conference for goals scored with five.
Freshman Lili Everley is third in the conference in shutouts with four on the season in addition to an 0-0 tie and is a two-time MIAA goalkeeper of the week.
No. 9 Washburn volleyball faces MIAA home tests after big road sweep over Hornets
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn volleyball improved to 15-1 on the season with a 3-0 MIAA sweep over Emporia State on Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]Fort Hays State enters Friday's match 13-4 overall and 2-3 inside the MIAA, while the Lopers are a perfect 18-0 and 5-0 in the MIAA entering the week.
The Ichabods enter the weekend with a 15-1 record overall and a 4-1 mark in the MIAA after completing a three-match road trip with a 3-0 sweep over Emporia State on Tuesday.
"We played great, I thought we played really well,'' Washburn coach Chris Herron said.
Senior Austin Broadie said Tuesday's win should give the Ichabods momentum going into this weekend's matches.
"It does for sure,'' Broadie said. "Maybe it will make people a little bit scared of us if they look and check what happened (Tuesday), so it's a lot of momentum.''
Broadie leads the Washburn offense with 185 kills (3.49 per set) while hitting .384, third best on the team. She has started all 16 matches and has logged 33 blocks with 38 digs.
Broadie has nine double-digit kill matches and ranks 20th nationally in hitting percentage and third in the MIAA. She is second among conference players in kills per set.
Bella Limback is slashing a team-high .546 with 103 kills (2.02 per set) while playing and starting in all 16 matches. She has also added 57 blocks, a team high and served seven aces. She has hit over .400 in all but two matches this season with two double-digit kill efforts. Limback leads the nation in hitting percentage and is fifth in the MIAA in total blocks and fourth in blocks per set.
Alex Dvorak is second on the team with 55 blocks (1.08 per set) on the season while starting all 16 matches. Offensively she has made 99 kills (1.94 per set) along with hitting .438, second best on the team. She has recorded five or more blocks in seven matches. The senior ranks fourth in the nation and second in the MIAA in hitting percentage. She is also fifth in the MIAA in blocks per set.
Corinna McMullen has started all 16 matches this season to lead Washburn with 341 assists. She has also chipped in 17 service aces while ranking second on the team with 133 digs. The senior has delivered nine matches of 20-plus assists and six double-doubles.
Taylor Rottinghaus leads the team with 210 digs (3.96 per set). She has chipped in 66 assists while serving a team-high 19 aces. The junior has two matches with at least 20 digs. She ranks eighth in the MIAA in digs per set and 10th in total digs.
Brynne Topolski is second on the Ichabods with 127 kills while hitting .284. She has come off the bench in all 16 matches while making 33 blocks with 26 digs. She has four matches with double-digit kills.
Washburn leads the nation with a .308 team hitting percentage and the Ichabods are ninth nationally and second among MIAA teams with 2.59 blocks per set.
On the defensive side Washburn is limiting opponents to a .109 hitting percentage, good for fourth nationally and first in the MIAA.
The Ichabods are dishing out 13.81 assists per set on offense, good for third in the nation and second in the MIAA.
Washburn knocks down 14.70 kills per set to rank fourth in NCAA D-II and second among MIAA programs.
Gold Partners
Community Partners
Gold Partners
