By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There have been times this season where it's been a challenge for Washburn Rural's soccer team to put the ball in the back of the net.
But with a solid defense and one of the state's premier goalkeepers in senior Hailey Beck, it doesn't take a scorefest for the Junior Blues to be successful.
Washburn Rural celebrates its Class 6A regional championship after Thursday's 3-0 win over Derby at McElroy Field. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
And on Thursday night, senior Mackinly Rohn's goal late in the first half and Rural's two second half insurance goals were more than enough to give the 13-4-1 Junior Blues a Class 6A regional championship with a 3-0 shutout at McElroy Field and a berth in next Tuesday's Class 6A quarterfinals.
"Hailey Beck, she's as good of a goalkeeper as we've ever had at Washburn Rural,'' Junior Blues coach Brian Hensyel said. "That's probably 12 shutouts this season and they're not shutouts where she stands back there and does nothing. She makes plays and every time Derby had a good chance tonight, the two or three times they did, she shut them down.
"So if you get a couple of goals you feel pretty confident with her back there. She's got a lot of experience and is a really good player and the defense has been good.''
Senior Mackinly Rohn is congratulated by Brooklyn DeLeye and her Washburn Rural teammates after scoring the game's first goal in Thursday's 3-0 win over Derby. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural had multiple scoring opportunities go awry in the opening half, but Rohn scored the only goal the Junior Blues would need with just 2:03 left in the half.
"I think it was important to get our energy up and get our confidence rolling,'' Rohn said. "We kept having chances but it just wasn't going in the net and that one before half really got us going through the second half.''
And once Rural got a goal on the board, Rohn said she felt confident with Beck in goal.
"I love my chances with Hailey,'' Rohn said. "She's not letting one go by her ... really any time.''
Washburn Rural senior Addi Broxterman (3, second from left) slips a shot past Derby's goalkeeper for the Junior Blues' second goal in a 3-0 regional win Thursday night. [Photo by Doug
The Junior Blues doubled their advantage just 4:50 into the second half on a shot by senior Addi Broxterman off an assist from sophomore Kate Hinck and Rural put the game away with a goal from Hinck off a pass from Rohn with 5:48 remaining.
Beck and the Rural defenders did the rest, turning away the few serious scoring threats that Derby (10-7-1) mustered.
"If we can get a goal on the board I can kind of take a deep breath and know that we have things rolling,'' Beck said. "And normally when we score a goal we can keep rolling and go forward.
"And we think that if we can get two on another team we pretty much have that game in the bag because we know that our back line is pretty solid.''
Washburn Rural, second in 6A a year ago, will be back at McElroy Field next Tuesday against the winner of Friday's regional final between Wichita Northwest and Wichita East.
"Every year our goals are to get home field, win the (Centennial) League and go to the final four and we're one game away from it,'' Hensyel said. "The girls have had a great season to get them in this spot. Derby gave us a good effort tonight and we found a way to respond and get a nice win.''
WASHBURN RURAL 3, DERBY 0
Derby (10-7-1) 0 0 -- 0
Washburn Rural (13-4-1) 1 2 -- 3
Washburn Rural -- Goals: Rohn, Broxterman, Hinck. Assists: Hinck, Rohn. Shutout: Beck.
