By Brandon Rojas
Sports Editor

In the game of soccer, set pieces are crucial, and they need to be taken advantage of, to make the best of any game. Taking advantage of a set piece is exactly how Washburn broke the draw early in the first half of Friday’s game against UNK and ended up taking home the victory.

After the ball was crossed in by Washburn sophomore Tera Lynch, the ball bounced off a few players and eventually landed at the open feet of senior Paige Swanson, who slotted the ball past Kearney goalkeeper, Allie Prososki.

An unfortunate turn of events ended up shifting the momentum in the game, as Washburn was able to hold the lead until the final whistle.

Throughout the game, the Lopers had nine corner kicks, seven of those coming in the first half. One of the best opportunities came early in the game at the seventh minute. Junior Molly Willis had a great chance for a goal to put UNK ahead, but her volley sailed over the crossbar. 

A quote from Loper head coach Chloe Roberts through Lopers.com said, “At the start of the game, we had a shot in the six-yard box … we have to put that away. Soccer is a cruel game; we miss that, and they go to the other end and score off a set play.”

Creating goals through these opportunities was something that UNK struggled with throughout the entire game, and eventually led to their downfall in the 1-0 loss. The match was a physical affair on both sides, totaling 22 fouls throughout, 14 of those fouls against Washburn.

The Ichabods now (3-3) will face Fort Hays State this Friday at home and look to improve upon their up and down season.

Up next, the Lopers (2-4) look to face-off against Emporia State on the road this Friday and then travel to Topeka for a rematch against the Washburn Ichabods on Sunday, September 23.