No. 9 Men's Soccer Overcomes Early Deficit to Top Morningside

Baldwin City, Kan., (Sept. 1, 2025)-The No. 9 Missouri Valley College men's soccer team played a non-conference game against Morningside (Iowa) in Baldwin City, Kan., Monday afternoon.  The Vikings fell into an early deficit, but used two goals in the second half to comeback for a 2-1 win.

Play opened with Morningside creating the first chance on goal, coming with just over two minutes played, and scoring on the opportunity to put Missouri Valley in an early 1-0 deficit.  Both teams struggled to create chances over the next stretch of play, trading possession.  The best chance for MVC came near the 28-minute mark, as a shot from Senior Forward Shiko Kiyomiya (Tokyo, Japan) was saved.  The Vikings produced one more attempt on goal, late in the half, as the shot from Senior Forward Taiga Matsumoto (Nara, Japan) was saved with five minutes remaining until the break.  The Mustangs were limited to the one shot through the entire half, but Missouri Valley trailed, 1-0, at halftime.

The second half started with early offensive production from the Vikings, as Sophomore Midfielder Alexander Ulmen (Lund, Sweden) tested the Morningside keeper just over one minute into play, and was followed six minutes later by a shot on goal from Senior Midfielder Julius Kruger (Berlin, Germany), but the score stayed at 1-0.  With nearly 14-minutes played in the half, Sophomore Midfielder Rodrigo Diaz (Chicago, Ill.) came close to scoring, as his shot hit off the post.  A little more than one minute later, MVC built up pressure again, as Matsumoto set up Kiyomiya with a chance, and the shot from Kiyomia went into goal to tie the teams at 1-1.  The Mustangs responded with its first quality attempt of the half, six minutes later, as Senior Goalkeeper Vicente Benitez Delgado (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain) made his first save of the contest.  Missouri Valley kept up pressure through the rest of the half, creating several shots and corner kicks.  Nearing the final minute of play, the Vikings had possession again near the Morningside goal, Senior Defender Jacob Adams (Nottingham, England) registered a late header into goal, off a free kick sent in from Diaz, to put MVC in front, and secure a 2-1 victory.

Adams scored his second goal, and first game-winning goal, of the season, while Kiyomiya added his first goal.  Both Matsumoto and Diaz added their first assists.  Benitez Delgado made one save in goal.  Missouri Valley held an 11-2 advantage in shots and produced five corner kicks.

The win moves Missouri Valley to 1-1-1 on the season, while Morningside drops to 0-2-1.

Up next, the Viking men's soccer team opens play in the Heart of America Athletic Conference with a home game Sept. 9 against Benedictine (Kan.).  Women's game starts at 5 p.m., and the men's game follows at 7:30 p.m., inside Volney C. Ashford Stadium.

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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.