By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University soccer heads to Ashland, Ohio for Friday's 2 p.m. (Central time) round three NCAA Tournament game against rival Emporia State.
Washburn junior Khloe Schuckman (11) leads the Ichabods with nine goals entering Friday's third round of the NCAA tournaent against Emporia State. [File photo/TSN]
Friday's game will be the fourth meeting of the season between the No. 1 seeded (Central Region) Ichabods and No. 2 Hornets.
All three previous WU-ESU games have been decided by a single goal, with the Hornets holding a 2-1 edge.
Washburn advanced to the third round with a 3-2 overtime win over Central Missouri while Emporia State with a 2-1 win No. 6 seed Bemidji State.
After hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Topeka the Ichabods are in Ashland, Ohio, the site of No. 1 seed Ashland University from the Midwest Region, where the third and fourth rounds will be played.
From the Midwest Region Ashland and No. 3 Grand Valley State are on the other side of the bracket and will play at 5 p.m. on Friday following the Washburn-Emporia State game.
The two winners will face each other on Sunday at 2 p.m.
This is the third-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament for Washburn, and the first since the 2008 season. The Ichabods are 4-2 in NCAA Tournament matches in program history after wins in the first two rounds, but have never played in the third round.
Washburn enters Friday's match against Emporia State with an 18-3-1 record after 2-1 double overtime win over No. 8 Ouachita Baptist in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and at a 3-2 double OT victory against No. 5 Central Missouri in the second round.
Washburn won its second MIAA regular-season Championship in program history this fall. The Ichabods went 9-1-1 in the MIAA with the only loss coming to Emporia State in the last match of the season.
Washburn set a program record with 18 wins this season, breaking the pervious high set in 2006 and 2008 when WU won 15 games.
The Ichabods reached the third round by rallying from a 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 5 Central Missouri.
With just two seconds to go in regulation Aubrey Tanksley was able to knock a deflected corner kick off a UCM defender into the back of the net to tie the match at 2-2.
In the 109th minute with just 85 seconds before the match would head to penalty kicks Khloe Schuckman took a pass from Jayden Allen and scored her second goal of the game.
Schuckman is tied for fifth nationally with six game-winning goals this season. She has nine goals and 23 points on the year while adding five assists.
WU senior goalkeeper Raegan Wells is second in the national in goalie minutes played with 1,995. She is less than seven minutes behind the leader.
Wells is tied for seventh in the nation in solo shutouts with 11 on the year. In the win over Central Missouri, Wells broke the program record for career saves at 334 and currently has 339 in her career.
Ana Muruzabal is second on the Ichabods in goals with eight and and in points with 19.
Washburn Rural product Mackinly Rohn leads the Ichabods with seven assists on the year. She's also scored three goals to sit third on the team with 13 points. She has started all but two matches and logged 1,327 minutes as a freshman.
Washburn had three players earn D2CCA All-Central Region recognition. Jordan Tenpas was a first-team selection as a defender, the first Ichabod to land on the first team since Lisa Fahey in 2008.
Wells and Schuckman both landed on the second team.
Emporia State coach Brian Sailer will not be coaching the Hornets on Friday after being placed on paid administrative leave.
In addition, members of the team will face sanctions in the form of limited playing time in Friday's match.
Emporia State is 14-5-4 this season and won the MIAA Championship Tournament with a 3-2 win over Central Missouri.
The Hornets went 13-6-5 last season and lost in the third round of the NCAA Tournament to Bemidji State.
Mackenzie Dimarco leads ESU and all MIAA players with 48 points and 22 goals on the year. She has taken 96 shots in 1,707 minutes and also adds four assists.
Dimarco was named the MIAA Player of the Year and was the D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year.
Cair Paravel Latin product Hannah Woolery leads Emporia State with six assists this season. She has also scored five goals to put her second on the team with 16 points. She has played 22 matches and logged 1,777 minutes.
The Hornets are on a 10 match winning streak entering Friday's match.
