Washburn women’s soccer starts the season 0-2 after losing the second home game in a row Saturday to the Maryville University Saints, 2-1.
Opening weekend for WSOC has been a challenge this season, but that was the plan for Head Coach Davy Phillips.
“We intentionally scheduled a tough weekend,” Phillips said. “We didn’t have any preseason scrimmage, [so] we needed to get tested early.”
In their match against MU, they were certainly tested early. The Saints scored within the first five minutes of the game with a shot from outside of the box that went over Sophomore Goalkeeper Hailey Beck’s head. But even after being down early in the game, Washburn’s gameplan didn’t change.
“Since we were down, it was important that we kept them in their own half,” said Lakin Rold, junior defender. “… but I wouldn’t say there was a change in our plans. Coach really wanted us to run at them and close them down as soon as they played the ball out of the back.”
Rold was a key component for the Ichabod’s defense with many vital stops, including a solo defensive play deep in Washburn’s corner to stall an MU attack in the first half.
Throughout the rest of the first half, Washburn continued to play with an aggressive attitude, a quality Phillips has focused on for his team. Phillips looks for aggressiveness in his players because that’s how he wants to play the game: controlling the ball in the attacking half.
The Ichabods’ aggressiveness finally paid off in the 40th minute of the game. After three team shots in the first half, Cloe Quintana, senior midfielder, found the back of the net from 35 yards out, knotting up the game 1-1.
“I honestly thought it wasn’t going to go in, and I was just hoping to put it in a dangerous spot for a teammate to finish. But watching it hit [the] net was an exciting experience, especially since it was my first collegiate goal,” Quintana said.
In the second half, Washburn was ferocious on its attacks, with twice as many corner kicks and shots in the second half than the first. However, it was MU who was able to gain leverage on the scoreboard with another high shot over Beck’s head in the 61st minute to take the lead 2-1.
Washburn went on the attack late in the game to try to tie it back up, but MU’s defense held strong, ending the game and handing Washburn its second loss on the year.
Washburn hits the road for the next two games, first playing Southwest Minnesota State University this Friday in Marshall, Minnesota, then facing Wayne State College this Saturday in Wayne, Nebraska.
Edited by Morgan Albrecht.
