WINFIELD, Kan. — The Southwestern College women's soccer team will open postseason play November 5th, Wednesday evening in Wichita, taking on the No. 2–seed Friends University Falcons in the quarterfinal round of the KCAC Women's Soccer Tournament. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Adair-Austin Stadium.
The No. 7–seed Moundbuilders (5–7–4, 5–4–4) secured their playoff berth with a 2–0 victory at Bethany to close the regular season. They now turn their attention to a rematch against Friends (12–3–3, 10–1–2), a team they held to a scoreless draw earlier in the year after a weather-delayed contest in September.
The two sides last met on September 17 in Wichita, in a match that was suspended due to heavy rain and later completed on September 22, Monday evening. Despite persistent attacking pressure from the Falcons, Southwestern held firm defensively, earning a 0–0 result.
Goalkeeper Hayden Clark anchored the Moundbuilders' effort with seven saves, including several critical stops in the second half to preserve the shutout. Friends finished with a 14–2 advantage in shots and a 5–1 edge in corners, but Southwestern's compact defensive shape and organization proved effective throughout.
Southwestern enters the postseason riding a late-season surge, unbeaten in three of its final four matches. The offense is led by Kaitlyn Walker, who has scored five goals and assisted on two others. Junior midfielder Millie Hazzard adds balance with four goals and four assists, while Abigail Webb, Hanna Culp, and Sarah Hobrecht have each contributed key attacking moments during the conference slate.
Defensively, Clark has been a standout between the posts all season, compiling 88 saves, a .822 save percentage, and four shutouts. The Moundbuilders have conceded just 19 goals through 16 matches, relying on disciplined defending and counterattack efficiency to stay competitive in a balanced KCAC field.
Friends enters Wednesday's matchup as one of the league's most dynamic and balanced teams. The Falcons have outscored opponents 45–14 on the year and posted 11 shutouts behind goalkeeper Morgan Wilkinson, who owns a 0.76 goals-against average and .815 save percentage.
On the offensive end, Kieley Aranda leads the team with 12 goals, while Anahi Ibarra-Arevalo (6 goals, 6 assists) and Paige Putter (6 goals, 3 assists) provide additional scoring depth. Friends averages 2.5 goals per game and has outshot opponents by nearly 200 attempts (311–131).
Southwestern will look to replicate its defensive performance from the earlier meeting while finding a breakthrough moment against a Friends back line that has been among the toughest in the KCAC. A victory would send the Moundbuilders to the KCAC semifinals for the first time in several seasons and mark one of the program's biggest postseason wins in recent history.
