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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural soccer avenged its only loss of the season Wednesday night, going on the road to top Blue Valley West 2-1 and earn its first berth in the Class 6A state championship game since 2021.
Senior Draden Chooncharoen (left) scored the game's first goal in Washburn Rural's 2-1 Class 6A semifinal road win over Blue Valley West Wednesday night. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Brady Loeffler scored the game-winning goal in Wednesday's 2-1 Class 6A semifinal road win over Blue Valley West. [File photo/TSN]
The 18-1-1 Junior Blues will face defending champion Shawnee Mission East (16-3-1) at 5 p.m. Saturday in the title game at Wichita's Stryker Complex.
"One of the best road victories in program history,'' Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "Defense was awesome tonight.''
The Junior Blues, who dropped a 3-2 home double-overtime decision to the Jaguars in Rural's third game of the season, never trailed Wednesday after senior Draden Chooncharoen scored in the first half on a header off a corner kick from senior Brandon Hamilton.
Blue Valley West (17-3-0) evened the score at 1-1 midway through the second half, but it took Washburn Rural all of about 30 seconds to answer with the game-winner, with senior Brady Loeffler scoring off a header.
"Great team victory for a group that just finds ways to win,'' Hensyel said. "Twelve seniors and all their experience paid off. Looking forward to the title game Saturday.''
Shawnee Mission East (16-3-1) advanced to the championship game with a 5-3 semifinal victory over Wichita Southeast (18-2-0).
Washburn Rural, making its sixth straight 6A final four appearance, dropped a 3-0 semifinal decision to the Lancers last season before the Junior Blues bounced back to finish third with a 3-1 win over Shawnee Mission West. SM East won the 2024 title with a 1-0 win over Dodge City.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 16-ranked Washburn University soccer team battled Emporia State to an 0-0 Senior Night deadlock Wednesday night at Yager Stadium.
And the two rivals will do it all over again at 1 p.m. Sunday in Yager Stadium in the opening round of the MIAA Tournament.
Washburn freshman Kate Hinck (7) advances the ball in Wednesday night's 0-0 MIAA tie as Emporia State's Abby Bachman defends. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Wednesday was a back-and-forth opening 45 minutes, with Washburn (11-2-5 overall, 8-0-4 MIAA) taking five shots in the half with one on target from senior Shaye Taylor in the 43rd minute.
Freshman Lili Everley would make three saves on attempts by ESU (8-5-5, 5-2-5) to keep the game level at the break.
The Ichabods would have two shots on goal saved in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Senior Aubrey Tanksley would put a shot off the crossbar in the 59th minute and in the 73rd minute junior Rilyn Snyder would take a free kick that would be saved off the crossbar.
Washburn took 10 shots in the second half, with six on target and saved by Hornets goalkeeper Mackenzi Goen.
The Ichabods finished second in the MIAA regular-season standings with 28 points while Pittsburg State won its first-ever MIAA regular-season championship.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 16-ranked Washburn University soccer team hosts rival Emporia State at Yager Stadium at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening for Senior Night, looking to wrap up the MIAA regular-season title.
Washburn, 11-2-4 overall and 8-0-3 in the MIAA, can clinch the championship with a win over the Hornets (8-5-4, 5-2-4).
Multi-time MIAA pick Belle Kennedy (12) is one of 10 Washburn soccer seniors who will be recognized before Wednesday's Senior Night match against Emporia State in Yager Starium. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn will recognize seniors Sydney Achilles, Shandon Carr, Londyn Furnish, Alli Harrington, Belle Kennedy, Hunter McWilliams, Lakin Rold, Brooke Powell, Aubrey Tanksley and Shaye Taylor.
"I'm excited that our ladies have earned the chance to compete for something really special on Senior Night,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "This senior class has been an incredible class for our program. They're the winningest class in WU soccer history (with 57 wins), they played for a national championship, and now get the chance to earn a third MIAA trophy.
"It's a really special class that I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach. Thank you, ladies."
Washburn extended its unbeaten streak this past weekend to 13 with a 2-0 win last Friday at Northwest Missouri and a scoreless draw against Missouri Western on Sunday.
"We are looking forward to the opportunity to continue to grow into our DNA in pursuit of another MIAA title,'' Phillips said. "Emporia is a good team and well-coached, and it's always a battle."
During their unbeaten streak, the Ichabods have only allowed three goals.
Washburn moved up three spots to No. 16 in the USC national poll and remained second in the USC Central Region poll.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Class 3A state champion Silver Lake, 4A runnerup Hayden and state qualifiers Washburn Rural in 6A and Rossville in 2A combined to put 12 players on the TopSports.news 2025 All-Shawnee County volleyball first team.
Shawnee County Player of the Year Kylie Hanni, Silver Lake [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee County Coach of the Year Sarah Johnson, Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Shawnee County Newcomer of the Year Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Silver Lake, which went 46-1 and ended its season on a 37-match winning streak, is represented on the all-county team by senior Jaiden Wise, juniors Kylie Hanni and Jaylie Whitehead and sophomore Karys Deiter, with Hanni named the county player of the year and Eagles coach Sarah Johnson tapped as the coach of the year.
Hayden, which placed second at state after finishing third in 2024, is represented on the first team by sophomore repeat picks Hailey Schmidtlein and Blakely Walter along with senior Ella Foster, a multi-time all-county selection.
Washburn Rural is represented on the all-county first team by seniors Karsyn Horyna and Stella Kelly and freshman Brynn Anderson, who was named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year after the Junior Blues won the Centennial League championship and advanced to the 6A state tournament for the ninth straight season.
Horyna is a first-team All-Shawnee County repeat pick while Kelly was a second-team pick as a junior.
Rossville junior Nora Burdiek is a first-team all-county repeat pick and is joined on the first team by freshman Kenna Perine.
Rounding out the first team are Cair Paravel Latin senior Karsyn Hastert, Topeka West junior Sydney Van Dyke and Shawnee Heights senior Avery Willey.
All-Shawnee County first-team capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University soccer coach Davy Phillips puts a talented starting lineup on the field every time the Ichabods take the field.
But the talent doesn't stop there, and Phillips credits the Ichabods' depth for being a big factor in the Ichabods' 11-2-4 start, including a league-leading 8-0-3 MIAA record and 13-match unbeaten streak, entering Wednesday's 6 p.m. regular-season finale against Emporia State in Yager Stadium.
Junior Kylie Hinrichs (19) scored her first career goal, the game-winner, in Washburn's recent 2-1 soccer win over Fort Hays State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn sophomore Sam Searcey has five goals and three assists on the season for the MIAA-leading Ichabods, [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"The strength is in the collective in this group, truly,'' Phillips said. "We've said it for a couple of years, but I just feel like we got deeper this year. Our depth is definitely a strength of ours.''
Washburn players who primarily come off the bench have accounted for nine of the Ichabods' 28 goals on the season while providing six of the team's 13 assists.
Washburn freshman Bricelyn Betts is mobbed by her teammates after scoring a goal in the Ichabods' 2-1 MIAA win over Fort Hays State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sophomore Sam Searcey (Lincoln, Neb.), who has come off the bench in 13 of 17 games, ranks second on the team with five goals and has also contributed a team-leading three assists, while freshman Jules Wardlaw (Olathe West) has a pair of goals, freshman Bricelyn Betts (Raymore, Mo.) has a goal and two assists and junior Kylie Hinrichs (Elkhorn, Neb.) has one goal, a game-winner, for the Ichabods.
"There's zero dropoff and it makes for really hard conversations as a coach explaining to players how fine that line is and why certain players get to start versus not, but if you can get past that and just concentrate on the strength it gives our team being that deep at every position, it's an incredible strength for us,'' Phillips said.
A perfect example of that bench strength was on display in Washburn's most recent home game, a 2-1 win over Fort Hays State, as Betts and Hinrichs both recorded their first career goals while Searcey provided the assist on both goals.
"It's kind of crazy how we have such a good second lineup that it's almost like you barely see a dropoff when we go in, which is really unique at this level,'' Hinrichs said.
Betts said the key for the players coming off the bench is to provide energy and a spark when possible.
"It's just like there'a already momentum going and we just want to keep it going,'' Betts said. "Energy coming out and making a difference is definitely what we really strive to do and something that Davy emphasizes really heavily.''
