No. 1 Seed Women's Soccer Uses Late Game Winner Against No. 8 Seed Mount Mercy

Marshall, Mo., (Nov. 5, 2024)- The No. 1 seed Missouri Valley College women's soccer team hosted No. 8 seed Mount Mercy (Iowa) in the quarterfinal round of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Postseason Tournament, presented by WinWon, Tuesday evening.  The Vikings trailed at halftime, but used a late game-winner to earn a 2-1 victory.

The game started with an early chance on goal for Missouri Valley, as the Senior Forward Miriam Aldabo Alguero (Mequinenza, Spain) had a shot saved with less than one minute off the clock.  The two teams traded possession over a long stretch of play in the half.  The next quality chance for either team came near the 32-minute mark, as Senior Forward Ashley Arribas (Lake Forest, Calif.) put a shot on goal that was saved.  Both teams struggled to create shots on goal through the rest of the half, until the final minutes.  Mount Mercy took over possession near the MVC box, and put its first shot on goal into the net to take a 1-0 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the half.  The Vikings were unable to work back and tie the game before halftime, and went into the break trailing by one goal.

Play in the second half started with a chance on goal created by the Mustangs, with just over four minutes off the clock, which was saved by Sophomore Goalkeeper Marina Barbara Bujalance (Cornella Llobregat, Spain).  Senior Defender Marta Carrasco Mesa (Sevilla, Spain) came back with a shot nine minutes into play, which was saved by the MMU keeper.  Barbara Bujalance was called on for another save, near the 57-minute mark.  Just past the midway point of the half, Missouri Valley earned a free kick on the Mount Mercy side of the field.  The free kick was sent into the box, and Junior Forward Marlene Flores (Bolivia) took a shot from six-yards out that went past the keeper and into goal to tie the teams at 1-1.  The Vikings created the better of chances over the next stretch, forcing the MMU keeper into five saves over 10-minutes of play through the 83-minute mark.  Barbara Bujalance made another save, with less than four minutes to play to keep the teams tied.  The Vikings came up with possession late in the contest, and quickly moved down the field.  Junior Midfielder Judit Ferre (Barcelona, Spain) sent a pass to Marta Carrasco, who took a shot from 35-yards away from goal.  The shot sailed over the keeper's head, and into goal to put Missouri Valley in front late, and give the team a 2-1 win.

Carrasco Mesa, named the Heart Player of the Year earlier on Tuesday, finished the game with the fifth goal and first game-winning goal of the season.  Flores now has nine goals and 26 points, while Ferre leads the team with seven assists, and sits with 21 points on the season.  Barbara Bujalance made three saves in goal.  Missouri Valley held a 19-6 advantage in shots, and a 2-1 edge in corner kicks.

Missouri Valley improves to 14-3-1 on the season, while Mount Mercy finishes with a 2-9-5 record.  The Vikings topped the Mustangs in the regular season meeting back on Sept. 14, 5-1.

Up next, the Viking women's soccer team will host No. 5 seed MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) in the semifinals, Friday at 7 p.m., inside Volney C. Ashford Stadium.  Missouri Valley defeated the Pioneers on the road, 1-0, back on Oct. 2.

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About Missouri Valley College

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.