By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University women's soccer team pushed its shutout streak to nine games with its fourth straight victory, moving into a tie for second place in the MIAA with a 3-0 win over the Pittsburg State Gorillas on Sunday at Yager Stadium.
Belle Kennedy (facing) congratulates Viviana Soto-Herrera following a Soto-Herrera goal in Sunday's 3-0 MIAA soccer win over Pittsburg State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods almost got off to a quick start when a Riley Wells shot from close range forced Pittsburg State goalkeeper Jocelyn Kramar to make a difficult foot save to keep Washburn off the board.
Washburn would keep the pressure up and finally get on the board when Khloe Schuckman finished off her own blocked shot for her third goal of the season to give the Ichabods a 1-0 halftime advantage.
Much like the last three games, the Ichabod offense came alive in the second half.
In the 57th minute, Schuckman found an open Viviana Soto-Herrera just inside the box and she launched a shot into the back of the net for her first goal of the season.
Washburn would extend its lead further in the 70th minute when Jadyn Allen scored a header off a well-placed corner kick from Aubrey Tanksley.
Ichabod reserves would come in for the last 12 minutes and play strong defense to put the finishing touches on Washburn's ninth straight clean sheet.
Washburn took 19 shots in the match, with 11 coming on target.
Schuckman led the Ichabod offense with three shots, all coming on goal, as the Ichabods had 13 players record at least one shot attempt in the contest.
Hailey Beck made one save in goal for Washburn.
Pittsburg State tallied three shots in the contest, with two coming from McKenna Robinson. Kramar made six saves in just under 75 minutes in net for the Gorillas.
The Ichabods will travel to Oklahoma for a two-game road trip, starting with a 7 p.m. contest against Northeastern State on Friday, Oct. 18.
Washburn's Matthew Earle and Tim Hammes captured a national doubles title in the ITA Cup in Rome, Ga. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
WU's Hammes, Earle claims ITA Cup doubles national title
For a second straight season Washburn men's tennis claimed the title of ITA Cup Doubles National Champions with Tim Hammes and Matthew Earle winning the programs second ever ITA Cup trophy in Rome, Ga.
The Ichabod senior duo had its work cut out for it early as Luis Iriate and Eduardo Cohen of Saint Leo took the first set 6-2.
In the second set Washburn took the first game and controlled the rest of the set, leading 4-3 and 5-4 before closing out the set with a 6-4 victory.
The third set was more of the same, with the Ichabods leading 3-1 early.
Saint Leo took the next two sets to tie up the set at three. Washburn took the next two games to re-gain control and would close out the 6-4 victory.
The championship is the second in a row for Hammes, who won the doubles title with Santiago Rendon in 2023.
It is the second ITA Cup title of any kind for the Ichabod men's program.
Washburn closed out the ITA Cup with 12 combined wins on the men's and women's side.
Ichabod VB falls 3-0 to No. 3-ranked Lopers
Washburn's conference winning streak came to an end Saturday night as the Ichabods fell on the road to No. 3-ranked Nebraska- Kearney, 3-0.
The Ichabods stay on the road next weekend taking on Missouri Southern on Friday at 6 p.m.
In the first set Washburn (13-4 overall, 4-3 MIAA) came up just short, falling 25-23 and the Lopers (19-0, 7-0) carried the momentum into a 25-12 second-set victory.
The Ichabods would play extra points in the deciding third set, but fell 26-24.
Both teams went back and forth early on with eight ties in the first 16 points of play.
The Lopers won three straight points to briefly go up by two before Washburn responded with three in a row, capped off by an ace from Jalyn Stevenson.
After Nebraska-Kearney went back on top, Stevenson sparked another rally, knocking down two kills as part of a 4-0 run to give WU an 18-16 lead.
After the Ichabods led 20-18 the Lopers won the next five points and would hold on the rest of the way to win by two.
A kill from Austin Broadie put Washburn up 3-2 early in the second set just before Nebraska Kearney began an 8-0 run to put them up 10-3.
The lead was extended to double-digits at 17-7 and the Ichabods were unable to pull any closer.
The Loper offense raised its hitting percentage in the set to .357 to thwart any comeback attempts as Washburn fell 25-12.
In the third set the home squad quickly built a 7-3 lead, but this time the Ichabods were able to keep pace with the early attacks, using three kills from Heather Schemper in the first half of the set to tie things up at 10-10.
After trailing by two, Washburn landed four points in a row to flip the deficit around after an ace by Taylor Rottinghaus.
The Ichabods pushed the lead to three with a Stevenson kill before the Lopers began to come back, tying the set at 23 all.
Natalie Hedlund slashed a kill to make it 24-all, but the final two points both went to Nebraska Kearney to finish out the match.
Washburn ended the match hitting .208 as a team with just 12 errors while the Lopers tallied a .299 hitting percentage on 58 kills. UNK had a 55-37 advantage in assists and out-dug the Ichabods, 61-54.
Nine kills and a .348 hitting percentage from Schemper led the Washburn offense. Corinna McMullen tossed out a team-high 22 assists while Rottinghaus posted 16 digs.
Emilee Lane had a match-high 18 kills while hitting .500 for the Lopers and Peyton Neff passed her way to 52 assists across the three sets.
Tigers dominate second half in 38-7 win over Ichabod football
Washburn football scored the first seven points of the game, but were outscored 38-0 the rest of the way in a 38-7 loss to Fort Hays State on Saturday night at Lewis Field.
Washburn is back in action Saturday, hosting Missouri Southern at 1 p.m.
To open Saturday's game, the Ichabod defense held the Tigers on their first drive of the game before Washburn drove 83 yards in eight plays for a 26-yard pass play from Sam Van Dyne to Tre Richardson to give WU the early lead at the 7:47 mark of the first quarter.
Washburn held the lead until the Tigers (5-2 overall, 3-2 MIAA) came back on the ensuing drive when Caleb Heavner hit Jayden Horace for a 4-yard connection, capping a 75-yard drive to tie the score at 7-7 with 3:29 to play in the opening quarter.
The two early scores were the only points of the game until the final play of the first half when Carson Arndt hit a career-long 52-yard field goal at the first half gun as the Tigers took a 10-7 lead into the break.
Starting the second half, the Ichabods (1-5, 1-4) recorded drives of 17 yards, six yards and no yards as the Tigers scored touchdowns on their first two drives of the half, building a 24-7 lead while outgaining the Ichabods 171 to 27 in the third.
The Tigers scored on a 1-yard play to take a 31-7 lead with 10:33 to go and added another touchdown with 1:54 left to wrap up the scoring.
Tyler Bowden led the Ichabods on the ground with nine carries for 54 yards and Cole Keller had a team-high 36 yards receiving on three catches. Richardson finished with three catches for 25 yards and one score.
Van Dyne completed his first 10 passes of the game going 14 of 21 overall with 122 yards and one score.
Jordan Finnesy had nine tackles to lead the Ichabods and Julius Jackson had eight tackles.
Washburn was outgained 464 to 208 in the game including 319 to 131 through the air.
