No. 25 Men's Soccer Tops Graceland on the Road

Lamoni, Iowa, (Sept. 27, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's soccer teams traveled to Lamoni, Iowa, for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader with Graceland (Iowa), Saturday evening. The No. 6 women's team earned a 2-0 win over GU. The No. 25 men's team pulled away in the second half for a 4-1 win.

Play in the men's game started with an early chance on goal created by Graceland, as Senior Goalkeeper Vicente Benitez Delgado (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain) made a save with just under five minutes played. Near the 10-minute mark, Missouri Valley had the first shot on target from Sophomore Midfielder Alexander Ulmen (Lund, Sweden), but it was saved.  The Vikings had back-to-back corner kicks just over 18-minutes into the half, but could not produce a shot on goal, and just over six minutes later, Senior Forward Shiko Kiyomiya (Tokyo, Japan) had a shot saved.  The Yellowjackets tested Benitez Delgado, who made another save to keep them scoreless with over 11 minutes remaining.  The two teams traded possession through the rest of the half, but the teams could not create another chance on goal, and went into halftime scoreless.

The second half featured Missouri Valley creating chances quickly, with two corner kicks and a shot on goal from Sophomore Defender Shosei Watanabe (Tokyo, Japan) that was saved in just three minutes after the restart.  Two minutes later, Senior Forward Taiga Matsumoto (Nara, Japan) put a shot into goal to send MVC in front, 1-0.  The Vikings kept the pressure over the next stretch of play, as both Sophomore Forward Felipe Hernandez Carrasco (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Freshman Forward Felipe Delcorco (Sao Paulo, Brazil) put shots on goal, but both attempts were saved.  Near the 64-minute mark, Matsumoto scored his second goal, off an assist from Hernandez Carrasco to make it 2-0.  Just two minutes after the restart, Benitez Delgado came up with back-to-back saves to keep GU scoreless.  With over 26-minutes played, Senior Defender Jack Hurrell (Leicester, England) nearly scored, as he struck a shot off the post.  The two teams traded possession over the next ten minutes, as both Matsumoto and Sophomore Midfielder Bartomeu Trias (Palma de Mallorca, Spain) had a shot saved, and Benitez Delgado made three more saves.  Graceland eventually scored with seven minutes remaining, but Missouri Valley responded quickly, as Kiyomiya set up Trias with a goal after the restart, extending the lead 3-1.  The Vikings continued the pressure, and Freshman Forward Davor Markinkovic (Santa Cruz Bolivia) came through with a goal with four minutes left in the game.  Missouri Valley kept the Yellowjacket from creating any clear chances in the closing minutes, and closed out a 4-1 victory.

Matsumoto scored two goals, while Trias scored his third goal, and Markinkovic added his second goal in the season.  Kiyomiya recorded two assists, and Hernandez Carrasco had his second assist.  Benitez Delgado made eight saves in goal.  Missouri Valley produced 14 shots, and held a 6-4 edge in corner kicks.

The win puts Missouri Valley at 3-3-3 overall and 2-2-2 in the Heart, while Graceland falls to 3-5-1 on the season and 1-3 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking men's team will host Hannibal La-Grange (Mo.) in a non-conference match, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Then, the Viking soccer teams will host Park (Mo.) in a Heart doubleheader, October 4. The women's game starts at 5 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7:30 p.m.

Box Score-Click Here

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.