By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 18-ranked and undefeated Washburn University soccer opens MIAA play on the road this weekend, facing Missouri Southern on Friday and No. 12 Pittsburg State on Sunday.
Sophomore Leah Henke (11) has scored a team-leading five goals for No. 18-ranked Washburn soccer, which opens its MIAA season on the road this weekend at Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State. [File photo/TSN]
Friday's game at Southern is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start while the Pitt State game will kick off at 1 o'clock.
"We know there's going to be really good teams in conference and I think our non-conference prepared us for this moment,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "I think we've learned some really good lessons and now it's just how well we can apply those lessons as a team, especially relative to some execution in the possession part of the game.
"I think we just get caught making some decisions that aren't necessarily conducive to how we want to play and if we can just maybe minimize those decisions and let us be us a little bit more in possession I think we're going to be alright.''
Washburn is 4-0-1 on the season after posting 2-0 shutout wins at Ouachita Baptist and Harding last weekend in the Ichabods' first road contests of the year.
Washburn sophomore Lili Everley is the reigning MIAA goalkeeper of the week after recording three straight shutouts in goal. [File photo/TSN]
WU sophomore Lili Everley was named the MIAA goalkeeper of the week after stretching her shutout streak to three straight games.
Sophomore Leah Henke leads Washburn with five goals in five games while also adding an assist.
Washburn Rural product Mackinly Rohn, a senior, has scored two goals with one assist.
Ichabod junior Sam Searcey eclipsed 20 career points with a goal last time out against Harding.
Freshmen Avery McCorry and Haley Thomsen recorded their first career goals last weekend.
Sophomores Bricelyn Betts and Jules Wardlaw surpassed 1,000 career minutes last Friday at Ouachita Baptist.
Missouri Southern (1-3-1) lost to Northeastern State 4-0 on Sunday, while Pittsburg State (6-0-0) defeated Southwest Baptist and Northwest Missouri 3-0 last weekend.
Washburn is 16-9-6 all-time vs. Missouri Southern, including a 5-1 win last season as Henke had a three-goal hat trick.
MSSU finished the 2025 season with a 2-13-3 record and was 0-10-2 in the MIAA.
Washburn is 2-0-0 against Pittsburg State all-time. The Ichabods defeated the Gorillas 2-0 on Oct. 12, 2025 as Searcey scored Washburn's two goal in the match.
Pitt State has not allowed a goal this season after falling to St. Cloud State 3-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
After four straight road games, Washburn will return home next week, facing Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State on Friday and Sunday next weekend.
