By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural gutted out a 1-0 Centennial League win over Emporia Tuesday night at McElroy Field, with the Junior Blues improving to a perfect 7-0 on the season and 3-0 in the league as they take aim on a 29th straight league crown.
Washburn Rural senior soccer star Devon Rutschmann (10) scored the game-winning goal in Tuesday's 1-0 Centennial League decision over Emporia. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Senior star Devon Rutschmann netted the game's only goal with 30:54 remaining and the Junior Blues held on the rest of the way for the shutout over the upset-minded Spartans.
"Our games with Emporia are always competitive, always tough, always physical,'' Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "It's a league rival and they've had good teams certainly over the last few years.
"They kind of mixed it up on us a little bit tonight and played with a pretty defensive mindset and made it very tough to create any chances. And then every time they were going the other way with long balls or transition they were dangerous, so I told their coach (Victor Ibarra) afterwards I thought that was one of the closest and toughest games we've had with Emporia in a long time. It was really good.''
Washburn Rural senior Griffin Heinen (9) executes a header in Tuesday's 1-0 Centennial League win over Emporia. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural sophomore Liam Morrison (24) battles Emporia's Keith Dix for the ball in Tuesday's 1-0 Rural win at McElroy Field. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Hensyel said he thought Tuesday's close call could benefit the Junior Blues moving forward.
"I think it's good for us because we for the most part had won pretty comfortably our first six games,'' Hensyel said. "We hadn't had one that you felt like there was some anxiety and we tell our guys all the time that there are a lot of teams that when they see Washburn Rural on the schedule, it might be the biggest game of the year for them.
"That's the one they want to win the most and we're getting everybody's best shot. We got Emporia's best shot tonight and they did a really nice job, but we found a way to win.''
Emporia's defense was able to limit the touches of Rutschmann on the night, but the Junior Blues' leading goal-scorer found an opening for the game-winner off an assist from senior Benett Hallauer and Rural's defense did the rest, with senior Ethan Uhlrig posting the shutout in goal.
"Devin was marked and really couldn't get loose but he got loose for one play and he made the play when he had to,'' Hensyel said.
Rural faces another league challenge on Thursday, traveling to Manhattan.
WASHBURN RURAL 1, EMPORIA 0
Emporia 0 0 -- 0
Washburn Rural 0 1 -- 1
Washburn Rural -- Goal: Devon Rutschmann. Assist: Benett Hallauer. Shutout: Ethan Uhlrig.
