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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University soccer is set for its first-ever national semifinal appearance on Thursday, taking on Adelphi University at 1 p.m. at the Sportplex in Matthews, N.C.
Junior Khloe Schuckman leads Washburn with 11 goals entering Thursday's NCAA semifinal contest in Matthews, N.C. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Davy Phillips' Washburn soccer team is two wins a way from a national championship entering this week's final four in Matthews, N.C. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods earned their historic final four berth with a 1-0 win in the national quarterfinals over Grand Valley State in Ashland, Ohio.
All four remaining teams were re-seeded for the final four, with the Ichabods being selected as the No. 3 seed and Adelphi No. 2. On the other side of the bracket No. 1 Florida Tech will face No. 4 Point Loma at 10 a.m. on Friday.
The national championship match will be played at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
This is the third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history for Washburn, and the first since the 2008 season.
The Ichabods are 6-2 in NCAA Tournament matches after adding four wins to begin this season's tournament run.
All matches for this week's tournament will be live streamed on the NCAA website at no charge.
Washburn enters the semifinals with a 20-3-1 record.
Washburn has set a program record with 20 wins this season and will break the program record for matches played in a season on Thursday, with the semifinals being the Ichabods' 25th match of the year.
Khloe Schuckman has scored five goals in the NCAA Tournament run, with three going for game-winners and two coming in overtime.
Schuckman is tied for second nationally with seven game-winning goals this season. She leads Washburn in both points and goals with 27 and 11, respectively. She is also second on the Ichabods with five assists while leading with 63 shots on the year.
Raegan Wells has played every minute of the tournament and recorded two shutouts.
Wells is tied for fifth in the nation in solo shutouts with 12 on the year.
Grace Peterson scored the match-winning goal against Grand Valley State in the 81st minute, the first goal of Peterson's collegiate career.
Washburn Rural product Mackinly Rohn leads the Ichabods with seven assists on the year. She's also scored three goals to sit tied for third on the team with 13 points. She has started all but two matches and logged 1,438 minutes as a freshman.
Adelphi University enters the final four with a 15-3-5 record on the year
The Panthers defeated Gannon University 1-0 in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals
Gia Mandile leads the Panthers offense with 20 points on the year coming on eight goals and four assists. She has started 11 matches and played in 21 for 1,006 minutes.
Kayleigh Goodrich is second on the squad in scoring at 17 points on six goals and five assists. She has played in 19 matches and logged 1,523 minutes.
The Panthers have allowed only one goal in the NCAA Tournament.
With a win Washburn would face the winner of No. 1. Florida Tech and No. 4 Point Loma on Saturday.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: @TopSports.news plans to run high school basketball roundups throughout the 2023-2024 season for the 10 Shawnee County high schools. Coaches are encouraged to submit game reports to
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Coming off a 24-1 season and a third-place finish in the Class 5A state tournament, Highland Park's boys basketball team is off and running again, opening its season Tuesday night with a 90-33 non-league road win at Bonner Springs.
Tamir Anderson
Ja'Corey Robinson
Highland Park, ranked No. 3 in 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, had four players crack double figures, led by senior Tamir Anderson, who scored a game-high 21 points on seven 3-pointers.
Junior Ja'Corey Robinson scored 19 points for the Scots, followed by senior Amari Taylor with 16 points (two 3-pointers) and junior Mikey Williams with 15 points.
Highland Park was in command after opening up a 28-12 first-quarter lead and the Scots took a 46-23 advantage to the locker room at halftime.
The Scots finished off the rout with a 44-10 scoring advantage in the second half, holding Bonner Springs scoreless in the fourth quarter. A running clock was used throughout the fourth.
Highland Park will return to action next Tuesday, traveling to Kansas City-Southeast, Mo.
HIGHLAND PARK GIRLS 52, BONNER SPRINGS 41
Highland Park, which advanced to the 5A state tournament a season ago, opened its season with a 52-41 non-league road win at Bonner Springs Tuesday night, getting a monster game from junior star Amelia Ramsey.
Amelia Ramsey
Ramsey, an All-Shawnee County pick last season, scored 21 points and grabbed 23 rebounds to key Highland Park's season-opening win.
Tahtionna Broils joined Ramsey in double figures for the Scots, finishing with 16 points.
Highland Park, ranked No. 10 in 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, will travel to Kansas City-Southeast, Mo. on Thursday.
ROSSVILLE BOYS 56, KC-WARD 48
Rossville evened its record at 1-1 with a 56-48 home win over Kansas City-Bishop Ward Tuesday night in the opening round of the Irish Classic.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The majority of college coaches and athletes go through their entire career without making it to a final four.
But it's always a goal, and it's something Davy Phillips has made a habit of and that his Washburn University women's soccer team will get an opportunity to experience this week in Matthews, N.C.
Washburn soccer coach Davy Phillips and his team walk through a long line of supporters during Tuesday's send-off for the final four in North Carolina. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn soccer players are all smiles during Tuesday's send-off for the final four at WU. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
After punching their ticket to the final four for the first time in program history with Sunday's 1-0 win over Grand Valley State, the 20-3-1 Ichabods will face Adelphi University (15-3-5) at 1 p.m. on Thursday in a national semifinal. With a win WU will play for the national title at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
"At the beginning of the year you kind of look at some really lofty goals and some really attainable goals and I think that final four and national championship is one of the loftier goals no doubt, but it's a possibility,'' Phillips said.
"Six years ago in the interview process I told them my goal was to win the national championship. I've been really close. At my previous school (Baker University) I was in the final four three times, so it's not expected but it's something we've worked for and it's certainly a career goal of mine, definitely.''
Facing a brutal wind in Sunday's national quarterfinal, Washburn kept the game scoreless until freshman Grace Peterson scored the game-winning goal, the first goal of her collegiate career, in the 81st minute and WU star senior goalkeeper Raegan Wells and the Ichabod defense did the rest, preserving the 1-0 win.
"The wind was pretty intense and we were against the wind the first half, so it was, 'Can we defend, defend, defend and get to halftime?' '' Phillips said. "Then at halftime we just talked, 'OK, now it's our turn to really go at them,' and I thought we were the better team in the second half.''
Sunday's win was another nail-biter in the Ichabods' four-game postseason run to the national final four, with all four games being decided by a single goal, including two overtime wins.
"There's a tremendous amount of belief in this group right now and that's really hard to deal with for the opposition, when you truly believe in something,'' Phillips said. "The girls' work rate I think reflects that. Without question, those wins, when they start accumulating, you find belief in what works and you gain confidence from that.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's No. 4-ranked (Class 5A) girls basketball team might not have been quite as sharp at Topeka West Tuesday night as the Vikings had been in last Thursday's season-opener when they hung 82 points on Lansing while shooting 57 percent from the field.
Seaman junior Anna Becker, who scored a game-high 17 points, puts up a shot in the Vikings' 59-27 UKC win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But the Vikings were still very good, improving to 2-0 overall and in the United Kansas Conference with a 59-27 win over the Chargers.
"We played hard,'' Seaman coach Matt Tinsley said. "We played real hard, so I'm proud of the effort. Sometimes when you don't hit a shot you press a little bit and I told the girls, 'We've really got to get some step-in shots.'
"I thought we just settled too much and when the ball movement is better inside-out you can step into those shots and it's easier to shoot and hit and we did that as the game went on.''
Topeka West (0-2, 0-2) was still within four points after a bucket at the 2:37 mark of the opening quarter, but the Vikings ran off the final six points of the quarter to open up a 17-6 advantage and took a commanding 31-14 cushion to the locker room at halftime.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's boys basketball team may not have that one go-to guy that it can count on when it really needs a bucket.
Junior Kamoni Ford came off the bench to score a game-high 17 points in Topeka West's 69-49 UKC win over Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The flip side is that after back-to-back impressive performances to open the 2023-2024 season it looks like veteran West coach Rick Bloomquist may have several guys that can fill that role.
Topeka West improved to 2-0 overall and in the United Kansas Conference Tuesday night, taking a 69-49 home win over Seaman as three Chargers scored at least 15 points and a fourth player added nine.
"We've got things we've got to shore up, no question, and we're not perfect by any means,'' Bloomquist said. "We just have to learn to play the game the way it's supposed to be played, but I'm very pleased.
"To come back on a team that shoots as well as Seaman does and is as well-coached as they are, it's a good win for us.''
Topeka West junior Jalen Foy (22), who scored 16 points, puts up a shot as Seaman's Bryer Finley defends. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Kamoni Ford, a 6-foot-5 junior, came off the bench to lead West with a game-high 17 points, including three 3-pointers, while junior Jalen Foy added 16 points and junior Ja'Vian Chambers 15 points.
