By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod soccer team picked up its first win of the 2024 season Friday with a 2-0 victory over the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs in Marshall, Minn. while former Washburn Rural Hailey Beck picked up her first career shutout in goal.
The Ichabods will have a short turnaround, traveling to Wayne, Neb. for a Sunday contest against Wayne State College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Washburn put on the pressure early, recording six shots in the first 30 minutes of action.
The Ichabods struck first after a long pass from Presslee Amick found Riley Wells down the right wing, with Wells finding the back of the net.
Washburn took their 1-0 lead into halftime, recording seven shots while preventing any shot attempts from the Mustangs.
The Ichabods controlled possession for most of the beginning of the second half before a Khloe Schuckman shot hit off the crossbar and across the line to extend the Washburn lead.
The Washburn defense held the Mustangs without a shot until the 80th minute, allowing Beck to record her first and only save of the afternoon.
Beck was making the third start of her college career.
Wells nearly added her second goal of the contest in the closing minutes after the ball dropped to her feet in the box, but the close-range shot was stopped by SMSU's Rachel Hicks, preserving the 2-0 final.
Washburn took 13 shots in the contest, with seven coming on goal.
Belle Kennedy led the team in shots with three, while Schuckman and Viviana Soto-Herrera added two shots each.
The Ichabods were awarded 11 corner kicks in the match to the Mustangs' one.
The Ichabod defense limited SMSU to two shots, with one coming on goal.
Hicks recorded four saves in 90 minutes in net.