Men's Lacrosse Closes Season With a Win Over Ottawa

Marshall, Mo., (April 16, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's lacrosse team hosted Ottawa (Kan.) to close the regular season Wednesday afternoon inside Volney C. Ashford Stadium. The Vikings pulled away in the second quarter for a 14-4 win. The most goals in a single game since 2022 in a 17-4 win over Morningside (Iowa).

The game started with both teams trading possession in the first six minutes of the game, which included two shots from Freshman Midfielder Shiloh Martin (Upper Marlboro, Md.), a shot on goal from each Senior Defender Alvaro Atienza (Madrid, Spain) and Freshman Midfielder Andrew Gongora (Corona, Calif.), and a save from Senior Goalkeeper Jake Lipscomb (Boiling Springs, S.C.). Missouri Valley eventually opened the scoreboard as Atienza set up Senior Attack Jayden Simpliciano (Honolulu, Hawaii) with a goal near the nine-minute mark to make it a 1-0 score. Ottawa scored a goal three minutes later to tie the game, 1-1, but the Vikings answered back quickly after the faceoff, as Martin added a goal with six minutes left in the first quarter to move in front, 2-1. The Braves had better possession over the next stretch of play, as Lipscomb had to make four saves to keep MVC ahead at the end of the first quarter.

Play in the second quarter opened with a shot on target from Simpliciano, but it was saved. The Vikings extended their lead with a goal from Atienza with just over a minute played, 3-1. Another goal came from MVC, as Senior Attack Carson Willey (Carstairs, Alberta) scored near the 12-minute mark. Teams traded possession over the next stretch of play, but Missouri Valley continued to increase their lead, as Willey added two more goals in less than two minutes to make it a 6-1 score. Ottawa scored a late goal to cut into its deficit, but MVC went into halftime with a 6-2 lead.

Missouri Valley created some offense in the opening four minutes of the third quarter, as Gongora had three shots and Atienza added two more shots. Senior Defender Jordan Bracamonte (Tucson, Ariz.) scored a goal with less than four minutes played in the quarter. Atienza recorded his fifth assist, coming on a goal from Simpliciano moments after the restart to give the team an 8-2 advantage. Possession was traded midway through the quarter, and Ottawa eventually scored two goals with nearly six minutes remaining to close the gap down to 8-4. Both teams tested the goalkeepers in the end of the third quarter, but MVC held an 8-4 lead.

The fourth quarter featured an early goal from Gongora, assisted from Atienza. Then the Vikings earned an extra-man opportunity, and the team took advantage of the extra player, as Willey set up Atienza with a goal near the 10-minute mark. Missouri Valley continued to pull away with a goal from Bracamonte, who scored with a man-down with eight minutes left in the game, 11-4. The Braves had a shot over the next stretch of play, but it was saved by Lipscomb. Missouri Valley added two more goals in the last five minutes of the quarter, both coming from Freshman Defender Lucas Brena (Miami, Fla.), and MVC scored one more late goal in the closing minutes to maintain their advantage and finish out a 14-4 victory.

Willey led the team with three goals and two assists. Simpliciano followed with three goals, while Atienza added two goals and six assists. Brena and Bracamonte finished with two goals each. Gongora and Martin chipped in with one goal each. Lipscomb made 14 saves in goal. Missouri Valley forced Ottawa into 30 turnovers, came up with 36 ground balls, and won 13 total faceoffs.

Missouri Valley finished the season with a 1-8 overall record, and a 1-8 record in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Ottawa falls to 0-11 in the season and 0-9 in the conference.

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About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.