Kearney, Neb. – A four-game home stand for the Nebraska Kearney women's soccer team begins Friday night when the Emporia State Hornets come to Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

On Sunday, MIAA play officially begins against the Washburn Ichabods. Check the Loper schedule page for start times and media links.

UNK (3-2-1) is coming off a 2-0 setback at Washburn on Sunday. The Hornets (4-2-0) lost at home to Fort Hays State, 3-2, the same day. E-State scored in the 74th and 75th minutes but the Tigers countered with the game winner in the 83rd minute.

Last fall, the Lopers shut out ESU by identical 1-0 scores. UNK managed 22 combined shots in the wins and have now won three straight in the series.

This Hornet team is led by senior Ashlynn Summar (12 shots; two goals), junior Maria Walden (12 shots; one assist) and sophomore Kennedy Hoffman (two goals). The new keeper, true freshman Bethany Reeves, has a 0.96 GAA, 26 saves and two shut outs. Finally, Emporia owns a 2-1 over WU.

Washburn (3-2-1) is at Hays (3-1-2) Friday night. The 'Bods fell by a 3-0 score last year in Kansas.

On Sunday, junior starter and Bellevue native Kelsi Smith took three of her team's 10 shots and scored in the 84th minute as part of that 2-0 victory. Freshman reserve Paige Ledesma played half the game and tallied the game winner in the 29th minute.

WU has been a thorn in UNK's side, going 4-2-2 in the last eight meetings between the two. That includes a shootout win in the first round of the 2013 MIAA Tournament.

The Lopers enter the fourth weekend of the fall having an advantage in shots, 54-46, and corners, 27-19, over its opponents. Showing balance, UNK has taken 23 shots in both halves with five more coming in extra time.

Individually, no Loper has a double digit shot total but seven are between four and nine. That group includes junior Michaela Hoffman (Fruita, Colo.), junior Caitlin Rerucha (Omaha Skutt) and freshman Megan Cook (Bellevue West).

The UNK defense has been stingy as usual, allowing five goals all season after giving up just 19 (18 games) in 2016. Omaha junior keeper Ali Hirschman has a 0.79 GAA and three shutouts with Hastings senior Marika Van Brocklin, Omaha junior Kelsie Ienn and Kearney sophomore Molly Willis keeping things quiet in front of her.

National powerhouse Central Missouri (Fri.) and Lindenwood (Sun.) visit next weekend.