Women's Soccer Captures Heart Postseason Tournament Title

Fayette, Mo., (Nov. 11, 2023)- The No. 2 seed Missouri Valley College women's soccer team traveled to Fayette, Mo., to play No. 1 seed Central Methodist (Mo.) in the championship game of the 2023 Heart of America Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Postseason Tournament, Presented by WinWon Technologies, Saturday afternoon.  The Vikings went on top early, and scored a late goal to secure a 3-2 win, and the tournament title.

Missouri Valley came through with early pressure on Central Methodist, and created the first shot on goal in the contest with just over five minutes played.  Senior Midfielder Miluska Guevara (Panama City, Panama) put her shot past the Eagle keeper and gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead.  The two teams traded possession over the next several minutes.  Missouri Valley had the next two quality opportunities.  The first came nearly nine minutes after the goal, as Guevara had a shot saved.  Three minutes later, Sophomore Forward Ashley Arribas (Lake Forest, Calif.) tested the CMU keeper, but her shot was kept out of goal.  Central Methodist registered its first attempt on goal midway through the half, as Freshman Goalkeeper Lola Benitez (Madrid, Spain) came up with the save.  Each team had one more chance late in the half.  Sophomore Midfielder Judit Ferre (Barcelona, Spain) put a shot on goal near the 36-minute mark, but her attempt was saved.  Benitez needed to make one more save in the half, with less than four minutes remaining on the clock, and the Vikings went into halftime in front, 1-0.

Play in the second half started with quick pressure developed by the Eagles.  The team equalized in less than three minutes of play after the restart to make it a 1-1 game.  Central Methodist came close to going on top five minutes later, as Benitez made another save.  The Viking defense faced more pressure from CMU, and Benitez saved another shot, while Sophomore Defender Marta Carrasco Mesa (Sevilla, Spain) kept an attempt out of goal in quick succession near the 68-minute mark.  Less than four minutes later, Central Methodist went ahead on a goal to take a 2-1 advantage.  However, the lead was short-lived, as Guevara scored her second of the game with just over 15 minutes remaining in the second half.  The Eagles tried to find a late game-winner, but Benitez made one more save with under seven minutes to play in regulation.  Just over one minute later, the Vikings built up possession towards the CMU goal.  Guevara sent a through-ball to Arribas, who went towards goal, and sent a shot over the keeper and into the net to reclaim the lead at 3-2.  Central Methodist was unable to put any opportunities on goal in the closing minutes, and Missouri Valley captured the Heart Postseason Tournament title with a 3-2 victory.

Guevara had two goals and one assist.  She now has four goals and six assists on the season.  Arribas added one goal, increasing who current streak to 12-straight games with at least one goal, and now has 10 game-winning goals this season.  She also tied the program's all-time record for single-season goals, with 19 (Tiffany Shaw-2004).  Benitez made five saves.  Missouri Valley got off nine shots in the contest, and earned three corner kicks.

Missouri Valley improves to 15-4-2 on the season, while Central Methodist drops to 17-2-1.

The Viking women's soccer team captured the program's first Heart Postseason Tournament title in program-history, and the program's second championship in the Heart, winning the Heart regular season title in 1993.  The team earned an automatic berth into the 2023 NAIA Women's Soccer National Tournament, the fourth-straight appearance for the program.  The 40-team field will be announced Monday at 12 p.m., by the NAIA, as will Missouri Valley's game location and opponent.  The tournament begins Nov. 16, but the team could earn a bye into the second round, which takes place No. 18.

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.