Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney women's soccer team starts a four-game road swing and begins conference play this weekend in Kansas.

The Lopers (2-2-1) are at Emporia State Friday afternoon and visit the Washburn Ichabods on Sunday. Check the UNK soccer schedule page for live stat links and kick times.

UNK will have a rest advantage over the Hornets (2-2-2) and 'Bods (3-2-1). Last Friday, the WU/ESU non-conference game couldn't be played in Emporia due to field conditions. The contest was played this past Tuesday and resulted in a 1-1 tie.

ESU is coming off a 9-8-1 season in which it won four MIAA games. The Hornets have had to replace leading scorer Amelie Heun, who went for 28 points as a sophomore thanks to 12 goals and four assists.

Outside of a five goal outburst at Colorado-Colorado Springs, Emporia has had trouble scoring, recording two goals in its other four games. However, E-State has given up just four goals all fall.

Senior keeper Yadira Rivera has a 0.61 GAA and made 23 saves. She is a four-year starter and a three-time All-MIAA pick. Offensively, seven different players have scored with sophomore Maria Walden (14) and freshman Maddie Taylor (11) the shot leaders.

The UNK/E-State game won't count in the standings. The two meet again Oct. 30th in Kearney.

In the 2015 regular season finale in Emporia, UNK won 2-1 as current senior Kadie Walaszczyk (Houston) scored in the 83rd minute. That goal sent the Lopers into the MIAA Tournament while ending ESU's postseason hopes.

Eight days earlier, ESU recorded a 3-0 win at Cope Stadium as they scored twice in the first 26 minutes.

Washburn has had just one home game this season, a 5-0 shellacking of Northwestern Oklahoma State.

Last Sunday in Kearney, they got goals from juniors Morgan El-Attrache and Emily Stauffer to win 2-1. That marked Stauffer's third career goal against the Lopers. She has three to date and eight in her career.  

Having already used 25 different players, Washburn has a balanced offensive attack that has seen seven 'Bods take at least seven shots. Two keepers have played with junior Kaitlin Minnich blanking UNK last Sunday.

Through six games, the Lopers have almost had twice as many corners as its opponents, 30-17. Junior Marika Van Brocklin has taken 28 of them with fellow Hastings High graduate Kaitlyn Pawloski the other two.

Van Brocklin joins senior Evie Sintek (Norfolk), sophomore Micheala Hoffman (Fruita, Colo.) and freshman Molly Willis (Kearney H.S.) as the only Lopers to start all six games this fall.

Willis has been the "Iron Loper" has she has played all 560 minutes to date. Keeper Allie Prososki (489) and Van Brocklin (488) are next on that list. Finally, 11 UNK players have taken at least three shots, led by Lincoln sophomore Tori Weber (nine) and Norfolk freshman Maddie Love (five).

Next week, UNK is at Lindenwood and current-No. 2 Central Missouri.