By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No matter what happens in Washburn soccer's MIAA Tournament quarterfinal at Northwest Missouri State on Sunday (1 p.m. start), the Ichabods have taken steps forward in the 2022 season.
Washburn finished the regular season with an 11-5-2 record, already showing a two-win improvement over 2021 with its most wins since 2009, and is in the running for an NCAA Tournament berth, earning a No. 8 ranking in the latest Central Region rankings.
Davy Phillips and his Washburn University women's soccer team will open the MIAA Tournament Sunday at Northwest Missouri State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"We've taken a lot of (steps), not only within the season but from last year to this year,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "I feel good progress going forward. It's been a good thing, no doubt.''
And on Sunday Phillips and his team will have their sights set on taking yet another step forward in the conference tourney.
"I told the girls, we don't have to do anything other than just be the best version of ourselves,'' Phillips said. "We feel really good that if we're the best version of ourselves we can go make a run at this.''
The Ichabods, picked eighth in the MIAA preseason coaches poll, finished the regular season in sixth place in the conference and will be the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament, facing No. 3 seed Northwest (12-4-2).
Washburn was rewarded for its solid regular season by having six players receive All-MIAA recognition last week, led by first-team selection Khloe Schuckman.
Emily Michaelis was a second-team all-conference pick for the second straight season while former Washburn Rural star Belle Kennedy earned third-team honors as a freshman.
Raegan Wells, Carlee Thompson and Viviana Soto-Herrera all received honorable mention.
Washburn outshot opponents 227-162 and outscored opponents 30-17 in the regular season
The Ichabods averaged 1.67 goals per game this season, fourth most in the MIAA
Wells, who received All-MIAA honorable mention, is allowing only .94 goals per game and has recorded a solo shutout in seven games this season.
The Bearcats are 7-0 in their last seven games, outscoring opponents by a combined 11-1 in that stretch.
Northwest has won four straight meetings with the Ichabods.
The most recent game came earlier this season when the Bearcats took a 1-0 decision in Topeka.
The MIAA semifinals will begin next Friday. Semifinal matches will take place on the campus site of the highest remaining seed after the quarterfinals.
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