Women's Soccer Plays No. 2 Cumberlands to a Tie

Bourbonnais, Ill., (Sept. 9, 2023)- The Missouri Valley College women's soccer team traveled to Bourbonnais, Ill., for a Saturday evening non-conference game against No. 2 Cumberlands (Ky.).  The Vikings trailed at halftime, but worked back to earn a 2-2 tie.

Play started with Missouri Valley building up early pressure.  Both Sophomore Forward Ashley Arribas (Lake Forest, Calif.) and Sophomore Midfielder Carla Carmona (Barcelona, Spain) had chances on goal with just over one minute gone in the game, but both attempts were saved by the Cumberlands keeper.  The two teams traded possession over the next several minutes.  Cumberlands had its first chance on goal come just past the 10-minute mark, and the chance went into the net to give the team a 1-0 advantage.  The Vikings countered minutes later, as Carmona set up Arribas with a shot, which got past the keeper, and allowed MVC to find the equalizer with just over 15 minutes played in the game.  Moments after the restart, Cumberlands got its lead back, as a foul in the Missouri Valley box resulted in a penalty kick, which made it a 2-1 contest with 16 minutes played in the first half.  Both teams struggled to create chances from then on, until the game went into halftime with the Vikings trailing by one goal.

Cumberlands came close to expanding its lead, as Freshman Goalkeeper Lola Benitez (Madrid, Spain) made her first save of the night with nearly four minutes played after the restart.  Benitez was called on again for a save nearly eight minutes later.  Missouri Valley had its first shot on goal come near the 65-minute mark, as the attempt from Senior Midfielder Miluska Guevara (Panama City, Panama) was saved.  Cumberlands answered back with shot that was saved by Benitez.  The Vikings worked back quickly, and had possession in the Cumberlands box, when a foul was committed, resulting in a penalty kick for Missouri Valley.  Guevara stepped up to the spot, and scored to tie the game at 2-2, with 19 minutes remaining in the half.  The Vikings held Cumberlands to without a quality chance in the closing minutes of the game, while Arribas came close to putting the team in front.  Arribas put a header on goal with under five minutes to play, but her attempt was saved.  The teams finished out a 2-2 tie.

Arribas scored her second goal of the season, while Guevara added her first goal.  Carmona tallied her first assist of the season.  Benitez made three saves in goal.  Missouri Valley finished with a 15-13 edge in total shots in the game.

The tie moves Missouri Valley to 0-3-2 overall, while Cumberlands sits at 4-0-2.

Up next, the Viking women's soccer team plays another game in Bourbonnais, Ill., taking on Grace (Ind.), Monday at 2 p.m.

Box Score-Click Here

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.