By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Washburn Rural star Belle Kennedy feels like the vibe among the Ichabod soccer team is starting to feel a lot like it did last season when WU posted a runnerup finish in the NCAA Division II national tournament.
Washburn junior midfielder Belle Kennedy (12) leads the 9-2-2 Ichabods with three game-winning goals. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
And that could spell continued bad news for future opponents of the Ichabods, who have not suffered a loss over their last 11 games entering MIAA road games against Central Missouri and Fort Hays State this weekend.
Washburn opened its season with back-to-back non-conference losses but have not allowed a goal since, establishing a school-record shutout streak while improving to 9-2-2 overall and 6-0-1 in the MIAA.
The Ichabods, who cracked the top 15 in the latest USC National poll, will make the trip to Warrensburg, Mo. to battle the Jennies in a 6 p.m. Friday contest before heading to Hays to face the Tigers in a 2 p.m. contest on Sunday.
The Ichabods remain in a tie for second place in the MIAA with Central Missouri with 19 points, three points behind Missouri Western.
"It feel like it's the same rhythm as last year where we struggled a little bit in the beginning but throughout this season we're getting to the point where we're approaching it like each game could predict where we end up within the national poll, within the MIAA,'' said Kennedy, a returning All-MIAA first-team pick who is tied for 19th nationally with three game-winning goals.
"It's not necessarily like we're taking it more serious, but we're making our journey more specific. In the beginning it's more about figuring out, 'OK, how do we want to play this year? Do we want to play a certain style? Do we want to switch our style?' And right now we've figured out our style, we're narrowing it down and perfecting it more so that each game we're getting better and better.''
Kennedy, a junior midfielder, said the Washburn hot streak has been fueled by its defense.
"Our defense is insane,'' Kennedy said. "You could put any forward against our defense and we are still strong. We're really resilient. The beginning of the year was a little rough but it always is when you're still trying to figure everything out, but at this point now, we can handle any forward and any duo or any three sets of forwards they put against us.''
Kennedy is also very proud of how her former Washburn Rural teammate, Hailey Beck, is performing for the Ichabods in her first season as WU's starting goalkeeper.
Beck is tied for first nationally with 10 shutouts posted in goal. Beck's 0.313 goals against average is good for fifth in Division II and her 0.879 save percentage ranks 15th in the country.
"I'm very, very proud,'' Kennedy said of Beck. "She's done an incredible job, honestly, stepping up and taking on the role of being our goalkeeper. She's been doing amazing.''
Washburn extended its winning streak to six games with road victories over Northeastern State and Rogers State last week by scores of 1-0 and 4-0, respectively.
WU's Viviana Soto-Herrera scored the only goal in the match against Northeastern State, finding an opening in the center of the box for an eighth-minute score before four different Ichabods found the net in the victory over Rogers State.
Senior defender Josie Boyle scored her first goal of the season and the second of her career in the Ichabods' win over Rogers State and was named the MIAA Defender of the Week.
Khloe Schuckman, Riley Wells and Rural graduate Mackinly Rohn also scored goals against Rogers State, with Schuckman now tied with Ana Muruzabal for the team lead with four goals on the season.
Central Missouri is 9-3-2 this season with a 6-1-1 mark in MIAA play.
The Jennies posted two shutout victories last weekend, defeating Central Oklahoma 3-0 before downing Newman 7-0.
Senior Ashleigh Martin leads UCM with seven goals and 17 total points while Caroline Cole leads the Jennies with five assists. Cole has also scored five goals for a total of 15 points.
Washburn is 7-25-1 all-time against UCM. The last meeting came in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where the host Ichabods defeated the Jennies 3-2 in overtime.
Fort Hays State is 6-4-4 this season with a 3-3-2 record in conference play.
The Tigers fell to Northwest Missouri State at home 2-1 last Friday before playing Missouri Western to a 0-0 draw.
Freshman forward Taylor Hill is the leading goalscorer for the Tigers with four goals on the season while senior midfielder Sullivan Kelly leads FHSU with three assists.
Washburn is 8-12-2 all-time against Fort Hays State. The last meeting came on Oct. 27, 2023, a 1-0 Ichabod victory in Hays.
The Ichabods will return to Yager Stadium for their final two home games of the regular season on Nov. 1 and Nov. 3, facing Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western.
"The end of this season's going to get really tough and we have to push through, and regardless of the outcome of the game, we have to make sure that we're playing better each game,'' Kennedy said.
