By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Before the 2025 season ever started, Washburn University soccer coach Davy Phillips knew his Ichabods had the potential to field a good team this fall.
Washburn soccer celebrated after last Saturday's 3-2 Elite Eight road win over Missouri-St. Louis. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
"From the very beginning we talked as a team that the purpose and the goal of the team was to maximize our potential,'' Phillips said. "And I think the potential in this group has always been there, it was just working to maximinze that.''
And early in the conference season, the Ichabods discovered they could be really, really good.
"Out of conference play you're kind of still figuring out the groove of the team, and the strengths and the weaknesses of each individual player, but by the time conference started and we tied (Central Oklahoma) and beat (Central Missouri), we were on a roll,'' said senior midfielder Belle Kennedy, the MIAA defensive player of the year and a third-team All-American. There was nothing stopping us once we found our chemistry.''
Washburn freshman Leah Henke, the conference freshman of the year, agreed.
"Coming out first game (of conference) we tied UCO and I think we played really, really good that game,'' Henke said. "And then we beat UCM off of (Mackinly Rohn's) goal very late in the game and it was like, 'Wow, we've got something really special here. We've got everything we need to go far.' ''
And now Washburn, which is in the NCAA Division II Final Four for the second time in three seasons, is just two wins away from being the best.
"We just keep getting better and better and I think we can go all the way,'' Henke said. "I've felt it from the beginning of the tournament. I think we've just got to play our game, stick to our game model and do what we do best.''
"The cool thing about is the group is I still feel like we're growing,'' Phillips said.
Now 14-3-6 on the season, No. 1 seed Washburn will take on No. 4 seed Franklin Pierce in a 4 p.m. (Central time) national semifinal Thursday in Colorado Springs.
Washburn advanced to the Final Four with a 3-2 road win over Missouri-St. Louis last Saturday in the Elite Eight.
Henke scored the game-winning goal against the Tritons, recording her 12th goal of the season to moved her into fourth place in program history for goals in a single season.
"I didn't really expect all of this to happen, but I'm thankful for it,'' Henke said.
Washburn soccer displayed its NCAA Final Four sign after last Saturday's 3-2 win over Missouri-St. Louis. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Shaye Taylor and Aubrey Tanksley scored Washburn's first two goals against UMSL while Ichabod freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley came up with five saves and now has 64 saves on the year with a save percentage of 82 percent.
The Ravens are 16-2-5 on the season and advanced to the Final Four with a 3-2 overtime win over West Chester.
Franklin Pierce has five players with five-plus goals on the season, and the Ravens average more than two goals a game.
Thursday is the first meeting between the two programs.
"Our team continues to inspire me, and I'm so grateful that we have the opportunity to play together in another Final Four vs. a well-coached Franklin Pierce team," Phillips said. "It's a group that loves each other and loves competing together.
"There is such a strong character in the team that has pushed our mentality and performances all year."
The Washburn-Franklin Pierce winner will play for the national championship at 4 p.m. (Central time) on Saturday.
