TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn soccer team opens the 2021 campaign with four straight wins before falling to now No. 5 Emporia State on Sunday, Sept. 19. It is still the best start to a season Washburn has had since their 2006 season. They went on to go 15-1-6 and make it all the way to the NCAA Second Round that year. Looking to bounce back this week against Fort Hays and Nebraska-Kearney

Game 1: Washburn vs. Fort Hays
Game Information

Date: Friday, September 24, 2021
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Topeka, Kansas
Venue: Yager Stadium
Live Stats: https://wusports.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary

Scouting Fort Hays

The Tigers have consistently been a tough opponent having an above .500 record both overall and in the conference the last six years. In those six years, Fort Hays has a 70-37-16 record (.634) overall and 49-16-4 record (.739) in conference. 

Struggled on the Road

• The Tigers have played four home games with a record of 3-0-1 but in the two games on the road they are 0-1-1.
• They have yet to score a goal on the road but defense kept the opponent's offense to just one goal in two games
• Under Coach Blake Reynolds, the Tigers record on the road is 14-14-4
• Fort Hays has 7 road games left and just 4 home games

Own the Series

• Fort Hays have controlled the series against the Ichabods. The all-time series record is 10-5-1 in the Tigers favor.
• Tigers have won the last 3 matchups
• Fort Hays is 6-1-1 at home but even on the road at 4-4

Huge Tie

• On Friday, the Tigers in their first test of the season tied No. 5 Emporia State 1-1
• In 2019, Fort Hays lost both games to Emporia State allowing six goals

Standout Players

Sophomore Midfielder Emily Hutchings

• Hutchings is one of six players to start in every game and second on the team in minutes played (497)
• She's shot the ball 13 times without a goal however she is creating shots with a team leading four assists

Redshirt Sophomore, Midfielder Carly Walker

• The Tigers have spread the scoring love and Walker's been apart of it. She's scored 2 goals, along with three of her other teammates, with five shots on-goal out of her seven shots
• Junior Midfielder Amanda Rapaduski
• Rapaduski is another player who has scored two goals but she also leads the team with 16 shots and 10 shot on-goal
• She's only played 308 minutes and started only one game out of the six she has played
• She also had the huge game tying goal against No. 6 Emporia

Defenders Zariah Smith, Reilly Madden, and Maja Persa

• These three girls have combined to play 1386 minutes while letting up two goals and helping the team shut four teams out
• Madden leads the team with 532 minutes played and she is second on the team with two assists
• Smith's played 434 minutes and scored a goal in the first game with one shot (3 total shots on the season)

Senior Goalkeeper Deonna, Wellbrock

• Wellbrock has started and played in five games, missing last game against Nebraska-Kearney. The Tigers had the two other keepers play in the game against the Lopers
• Wellbrook has faced 51 shots, saved 28 of them while allowing two goals in five games. 
• Despite missing a game she has played 490 minutes including two double overtime ties against Colorado Christian and Emporia State

About the Coach

• Head Coach Blake Reynolds is entering his fourth fall soccer season
• Reynolds is just the 2nd coach in program history
• He has compiled a 31-19-8 record in his first three seasons at Hays. His .603 winning percentage at FHSU is the best in program history
• Head coached eight seasons at the NAIA level - Kansas Wesleyan and Midland University
• Reynolds holds a career record of 133-61-27 over 11 years
• Played collegiately at Baker where he earned three All-Heart of America First Team selections and three All-Region V selections

Game 2: Washburn vs. Nebraska-Kearney
Game Information

Date: Sunday, September 26, 2021
Time: 1 p.m. CT
Location: Topeka, Kansas
Venue: Yager Stadium
Live Stats: https://wusports.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary

Scouting Nebraska-Kearney

The Lopers had a tough 2019 season as they went 2-9-7 and winning just one game in the conference. It didn't get much much better in the spring season. 

MIAA Opponents

• At the start of the season, the Lopers were keeping games to just one game differences. Now playing conference opponents in their last two games they let up two and then three goals.
• The Lopers will play another MIAA opponent before officially conference play in No. 5 Emporia State
• Conference will not be easy as the MIAA has two teams in the nations top 25 and undefeated Rogers State

Go On the Road

The Lopers played all home or neutral games up until traveling to Fort Hays on Sunday.

The road stretch continues, first going to No. 6 Emporia State and then to Washburn

Hardest Stretch of the Season

• In a four game spam, the Lopers not only play Washburn times(once in Topeka) but also play Fort Hayes and Emporia on the road. The first two did not go well as they got shut out in both games and let up five goals
• Those 3 teams have a combined record of 12-1-3
• This road game against Washburn starts their MIAA schedule

Injury Bug

• On the September 17th game against Washburn, two girls went down. 5th year captain Kassidy Kirsch went down with an ankle injury and Aspen Brandich went down with a knee injury. 
• Both did not play in the game against Fort Hays

Standout Players

Senior Bridget Barker

• With the injuries to Brandich and Kirsch, Barker will need to step up for the Lopers' offense
• On the season, Barker's taken seven shots with four being on goal
• In her one game starting, she played 58 minutes and didn't take a shot

Senior Perla Navarro

• Another forward who needs to step up with injuries to the Lopers offense
• On the season, Navarro's taken a team leading eight shots and four shots on goal. She also has the only assist on the season.
• She has started in four games. In the start against Fort Hays, Navarro took one of the three shots

Defenders Dolcie Hanlon and Megan Cook

• Cook leads the team with 458 minutes play and Hanlon not far behind as she has played 456 minutes
• Cook is the other fifth year and captain so once again her leadership has come in huge
• Both will be needed more with the offense missing several key players

About the Coach

• Head Coach Chloe Roberts is entering his fourth fall soccer season
• Named the third head coach in UNK history
• Previously served as an assistant coach and graduate assistant coach st Nebraska Kearney
• Played collegiately at North Alabama from 2009-12. She was the Daktronics 2011 Player of the Year, four-time All-American and tallied a school-record 93 goals
• In 2020, she was named Gulf South Conference Player of the Decade and made the All-Decade Squad
•  Played professionally with the Colorado Rapids and the Atlanta Silverbacks