By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's soccer will open its 2022 season at home Thursday with a 7 p.m. non-conference contest against Oklahoma Baptist.
Washburn University's soccer team will open its 2022 season at home Thursday against Oklahoma Baptist at Yager Stadium. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods return 13 players from its 2021 team that posted a 9-7-2 reord while adding eight freshmen and three transfers.
Washburn, which reached the quarterfinals of the MIAA tournament last season, will be looking to win its season-opening game for the second straight year.
Coach Davy Phillips is starting his sixth season at Washburn, which was voted eighth in the MIAA preseason coaches poll, while this season marks the 20th season of soccer at WU.
The program's overall record is 137-137-44 and 83-110-27 in MIAA play.
The Ichabods' 6-1-2 home record in 2021 was the school's best home record since the 2009 squad went 7-2. Washburn finished last season in sixth place in the MIAA with a 5-5-1 record.
Washburn finished the 2021 season in the MIAA Tournament quarterfinals with a 5-0 loss to Northwest Missouri State.
Taylor Bockover and Viviana Soto-Herrera lead all returning players with two assists each last season.
Raegan Wells, Khloe Shuckman and Emily Michaelis were all named to the All-MIAA third team a year ago.
Wells was in goal for four complete and one combined shutout last season, allowing an average of 1.36 goals per game.
Khloe Schuckman leads all returners with 28 shots on goal in 2021 as well as points with 13. Her three game-winning goals also top the team.
Former Washburn Rural stars Belle Kennedy and Hunter McWilliams, who helped lead the Junior Blues to a runner-up finish in the Class 6A state tournament this past spring, are freshmen on the Washburn roster.
Kennedy was named the 6A midfielder of the year the past two seasons while McWilliams also received All-6A recognition.
Oklahoma Baptist finished the 2021 season 13-6-1 and 10-2 in the Great American Conference, winning the conference regular-season title for the third time in four seasons.
The Bison defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State University 1-0 to win the GAC Tournament before losing to Minnesota State University-Mankato 3-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
