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Late Mackinly Rohn goal pushes Ichabod soccer past No. 12 Jennies, 1-0
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University soccer team posted a statement MIAA win Friday night in Yager Stadium, topping No. 12-ranked Central Missouri 1-0 on a late goal from junior Mackinly Rohn.
Junior Mackinly Rohn scored the game's only goal in the 85th minute in Friday's 1-0 Washburn soccer win over No. 12-ranked Central Missouri. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
"I'm so proud of the team for their effort and ability to compete against a really good team in UCM,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "They executed things we talked about throughout the week at a really high level.
"Sunday will provide another really tough test that we will need to be our best for, but tonight is a really good night for our team."
In the 85th minute, Rohn, a former Washburn Rural star, found the bottom right corner of the net for what would be the game's only score.
It was a back-and-forth opening 45 minutes, with both teams having two shots each. Washburn forced the UCM goalie to make a save. The Ichabods had five corners to the Jennies' two.
No. 2-ranked Washburn volleyball tops No. 25 Emporia State for eighth straight sweep
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 2-ranked Washburn volleyball extended its consecutive set winning streak to 24 with a sweep Friday night in Whiting Fieldhouse. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]Washburn (20-1 overall, 9-1 MIAA) took control early in the first two sets, winning 25-17 and 25-15, but would need to battle back from a deficit in the third set to earn the sweep over the Hornets (17-4, 8-2) with a 25-23 win.
The first three points of the match all went to the Ichabods on kills set up by Corinna McMullen. A kill by Alex Dvorak sparked an 8-0 run, culminated with an ace from McMullen to put Washburn up 16-6.
Emporia State battled back to bring the score within six but were held to just a .100 hitting percentage as a team.
The final two points of the set came on kills by WU's Keilah Rivers.
The Ichabods got out to an early lead in the second set with the Hornets staying close, pulling within one at 10-9 after a three-point burst.
Dvorak started a 7-2 rally with a kill, putting Washburn up 17-11 after a Sydney Conner ace.
After hitting just .194 in the first set, the Ichabod offense hit .407 in the second, pulling away down the stretch with Dvorak ending the set on a kill.
Emporia State started the third set quicker, leading 9-6 after two straight points.
A four-point rally for Washburn put them in front 11-10 after two aces by Taylor Rottinghaus, but the visitors quickly flipped it back with three in a row of their own.
The Ichabods were able to come back for good and create some separation with a 6-1 run, capped by a kill by Austin Broadie to lead 22-18.
Washburn reached match point at 24-21 and twice the Hornets held firm until a kill by Sydney Buscher ended the match.
Coming off big MIAA win, Washburn football set to host Tigers in Homecoming tilt
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Fresh off its first MIAA win of the season last week in a 37-17 decision over Central Missouri last weekend, Washburn football team will host Fort Hays State at 1 p.m. Saturday in Yager Stadium as part of WU's Homecoming Week.
First-year Washburn coach Zach Watkins picked up his first MIAA win as a head coach last week in the Ichabods' 37-17 win over Central Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn is now 2-5 overall and 1-4 in the MIAA after snapping a four-game losing streak while the Tigers are 4-4 and 3-3 in the MIAA after suffering a 52-3 loss at No. 19 Northwest Missouri last Saturday.
"We keep talking about the fact that we have a very good process that we're implementing and we're running the program in the right way, but you have to see some tangible evidence that are wins to really back that up,'' Washburn coach Zach Watkins said. "Even without the wins for the last few weeks the players and coaches knew we were doing it the right way and kept working, but when you get a win it does validate it and it does give you some positivity that, 'Hey, we are on the right track.' ''
Ichabod sophomore linebacker JC Heim, a former Washburn Rural star, leads the nation in tackles per game with 13.6 stops per contest and junior L.J. Minner Jr. is third in the MIAA with 9.6 tackles per game, ranking 19th in NCAA D-II.
Senior safety Jordan Finnesy, who had two interceptions and a fumble recovery in the win over UCM, has 239 career tackles to rank 16th on the NCAA D-II active chart and he is also 16th on the active solo tackles chart with 146.
Senior Jake Zeller is fifth on the D-II active punting average chart at 41.9 yards per punt and he is seventh in total punting yards (6,196). Zeller is second in the MIAA and ninth in the national rankings in punting average this fall at 43.0 yards and is second on the Ichabod all-time punting average chart at 41.9 and ninth in total yards at 6,196.
Junior Chase Allen-Jackman's seven touchdown receptions lead the MIAA and rank 12th in the nation.
The Ichabod defense is 11th in turnovers gained in the national rankings and second in the MIAA and the Ichabods lead the MIAA in turnover margin and rank 14th in the nation.
The eight turnovers forced by the Ichabods last weekend against Central Missouri was a school record, as were the six interceptions, tying the six pickoffs recorded at Missouri Southern on Oct. 8, 2016.
Making his first career start, redshirt freshman Logan Madden completed 20 of 31 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns against Central Missouri while adding 14 rushing yards and a TD.
Former Topeka High star Ky Thomas posted 87 rushing yards and 33 receiving yards with two total touchdowns, and Allen-Jackman caught seven passes for 73 yards and a TD.
Fort Hays State head coach Chris Brown was an assistant at Washburn as the defensive coordinator for nine years while another former Ichabod coach on the Tiger staff, defensive coordinator Cooper Harris, was at Washburn from 2002-11, serving as linebackers coach and one season as the defensive coordinator before joining Brown in Hays.
Brown is in his 14th season as head coach at Fort Hays State, leading the Tigers to an MIAA Championship in 2017 and a co-championship in 2018 as well as their first NCAA postseason games since 1995.
Watkins has a great deal of respect for both Brown and Harris.
"Coach Brown was my D-Coordinator the whole time I played, coach Harris was my linebacker coach the whole time I played and then coach Brown hired me at Fort Hays for my first full-time coaching job,'' Watkins said. "I coached with him and coach Harris out there for three years after playing under them.
"So this week is not about me of course, but it's a special week to play your mentors in the head coaching role for the first time. We have the utmost respect for everybody we play, but especially guys you know on a personal level like those guys.''
