Women's Soccer Overcomes Deficit to Defeat MidAmerica Nazarene in Postseason Semifinal

Marshall, Mo., (Nov. 8, 2023)- The Missouri Valley College women's soccer team hosted MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) in the semifinal round of the 2023 Heart of America Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Postseason Tournament, Presented by WinWon Technologies, Wednesday evening.  The No. 2 seed Vikings trailed early in the second half, but scored twice late in the game to secure a 2-1 win over the No. 3 seed Pioneers and advance to the championship game.

Missouri Valley created early pressure at the start of the game, as Sophomore Forward Ashley Arribas (Lake Forest, Calif.) put a shot on goal with eight minutes played, which was saved by the MNU keeper.  The two teams traded possession over the next stretch, with the Pioneers working the next opportunity on goal, near the 16-minute mark.  Freshman Goalkeeper Lola Benitez (Madrid, Spain) came up with her first save of the contest to keep the teams scoreless.  Both teams struggled to build up possession through the rest of the half.  There were no more shots on goal by either team, and only one corner kick opportunity created, by Missouri Valley in the closing moments of the half.  The teams went into the break without a goal.

Play in the second half began with MidAmerica Nazarene holding possession in the MVC defensive side of the field, and drawing a foul in the penalty box with just over two minutes played.  The penalty kick was taken, and scored by the Pioneers to put the team in front, 1-0.  Three minutes later, Junior Forward Miriam Aldabo Alguero (Mequinenza, Spain) worked a shot on goal that was saved by the MNU keeper.  With just over eight minutes played in the half, MVC created a throw-in near the MidAmerica Nazarene box.  Sophomore Forward Viktoria Einsbor (Havdrup, Denmark) flicked a header towards the top of the box, and Aldabo Alguero took a shot that hit off the left post and into goal to tie the teams at 1-1.  The Pioneers answered back with a chance near the 61-minute mark, as a shot hit off the post and away from goal.  Missouri Valley followed less than seven minutes later with a shot from Arribas that came off the crossbar.  Missouri Valley continued to pressure the MNU defense, and Senior Midfielder Miluska Guevara (Panama City, Panama) had a shot saved with 18 minutes remaining in regulation.  Benitez came up with a save four minutes later, tipping a Pioneer shot over the goal.  The Vikings came back with possession late in the half that built up into the MNU side of the field.  Sophomore Defender Daijah White (Tucson, Ariz.) put a header on goal that was saved with just over eight minutes to play in the half.  However, the ball was not cleared by the Pioneers, and Guevara set up Arribas inside the MidAmerica Nazarene box.  Arribas put her shot from 10 yards out past the keeper and into goal to give the Vikings a 2-1 lead with less than eight minutes left on the clock.  Missouri Valley limited MNU late in the game, and held the team to no shots in the closing moments to secure the 2-1 win, and advance to the championship game.

Arribas scored one goal, and now has 18 goals and nine game-winning goals on the season.  She has also registered at least one goal in 11-straight games.  Aldabo Alguero added her third goal this season, while Guevara recorded her team-leading fifth assist, with Einsbor added her fourth assist.  Benitez made two saves in goal.  Missouri Valley outshot the Pioneers by a 12-6 margin, and held a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.

Missouri Valley improves to 14-4-2 on the season, while MidAmerica Nazarene drops to 10-6-2.

Up next, the Viking women's soccer team will play in the championship game of the Heart Postseason Tournament, Saturday at 1 p.m., in Fayette, Mo., against No. 1 seed Central Methodist (Mo.).  Missouri Valley fell to the Eagles, 4-2, on the road back on Oct. 11.  This is the third conference tournament final appearance for the program since 2020.  Tonight's win also earned the team an automatic berth into the 2023 NAIA Women's Soccer National Tournament, the fourth-straight National postseason appearance for the program.

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.