No. 1 Seed Women's Soccer Falls to No. 5 Seed MidAmerica Nazarene in Heart Semifinals

Marshall, Mo., (Nov. 8, 2024)- The No. 1 seed Missouri Valley College women's soccer team hosted No. 5 seed MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) in the semifinal round of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Postseason Tournament Friday evening inside Volney C. Ashford Stadium.  The Vikings led early, but fell by a final score of 3-2.

The contest started with the two teams trading possession over the early stretch of play in the first half.  The first attempt on goal came after the 14-minute mark, as Junior Defender Marta Carrasco Mesa (Sevilla, Spain) sent a free kick towards the Pioneer box.  Junior Forward Marlene Flores (Bolivia) got underneath the ball, and put a header just inside the far post and into goal to move MVC in front, 1-0.  Both teams struggled to break down the opposing defense through the rest of the half.  Only one more shot on goal came, in the final minutes before halftime.  Sophomore Goalkeeper Marina Barbara Bujalance (Cornella Llobregat, Spain) made a save with less than two minutes remaining on the clock to secure a one-goal lead for the Vikings at halftime.

The second half featured early possession on the MVC side of the field for MidAmerica Nazarene.  The team created a pair of corner kick opportunities, then forced Barbara Bujalance into a save 10-minutes into play.  Three minutes later, the Pioneers came through with their first goal, then followed just over two minutes after the restart with another goal to claim a 2-1 advantage.  Freshman Defender Fabiana Vasquez (Isla Margarita, Venezuela) tried to tie the contest once again, but a shot from the top of the MNU box was saved.  The Pioneers extended their lead at the 71-minute mark, scoring another goal to make it 3-1.  Missouri Valley responded by creating an attempt on goal, again coming off a Carrasco Mesa free kick which led to a Flores header to cut the gap down to 3-2 with 15-minutes to play.  Junior Forward Silivia Maldanado (Madrid, Spain) came close to scoring the equalizer, but her header off a corner kick was deflected over the goal with seven minutes remaining.  Senior Forward Ashley Arribas (Lake Forest, Calif.) also put a shot on goal, four minutes later, which was saved.  Missouri Valley had one more chance, as MNU was called for a foul inside its own box, resulting in a penalty kick in the final 30-seconds.  Arribas stepped up to the spot, but her attempt was saved.  The final seconds went off the clock, and the Vikings fell, 3-2.

Flores scored twice, and now has 11 goals and 26 points on the season.  Carrasco Mesa recorded two assists, and now has five assists and 15 points.  Barbara Bujalance made two saves in goal. Missouri Valley had seven shots and three corner kicks in the game.

Missouri Valley falls to 14-4-1 on the season.  MidAmerica Nazarene improves to 13-4-2, and advances to the Heart Postseason Tournament final.  The Vikings earned an automatic berth into the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship, after capturing the Heart regular season title late last month.  The team will learn the date, location and first opponent when the tournament field is announced, Nov. 16.

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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.