MVC SOCCER DROPS DOUBLEHEADER TO BAKER TUESDAY

MVC SOCCER DROPS DOUBLEHEADER TO BAKER TUESDAY

 

Marshall, Mo. (October 22, 2013)- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's soccer teams hosted Baker University in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Tuesday evening at Gregg-Mitchell Field.  The MVC women's team lost a defensive struggle with Baker 1-0, while the No. 6 men's soccer team dropped a double overtime match to No. 16 Baker University 2-1.

 

The women's soccer team found themselves in an early hole when Baker University was able to score off a corner kick less than two minutes into the match.  Working against a stiff breeze in the first half, the Vikings were unable to get much going on offense, getting off just six shots, only one of which was on goal.  The lone shot on goal by MVC came quickly after the Baker goal when Riley Kerr put one on frame, but was unable to beat the Baker keeper.  With neither team able to get much going on offense, the match went into halftime with Baker leading 1-0.

 

The Vikings had a little more success testing the Baker defense in the second half, getting off seven total shots.  However, Baker was ready, and despite putting a total of four shots on goal in the second half, the Vikings failed to find an equalizer.  The final chance on goal for MVC came with just under four minutes remaining when Michelle Plowman's shot was saved, and Baker held on for the 1-0 win.

 

The Vikings, which entered the match in the "others receiving votes" category in this week's NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll, were playing their final home match of the regular season.  Six seniors played their finals games including Keeper Erikka Diarte (Stockton, Calif.), Defender Kelsey Hieb (St. Peters, Mo.), Midfielder Colleen Husmann (St. Charles, Mo.), Forward Cecilee Kidd (Fairfield, Calif.), Forward Breann Kinworthy (St. Charles, Mo.), and Midfielder Miranda Ott (DeSoto, Mo.).

 

The win loss drops MVC to 10-4-3 overall and 3-2-1 in HAAC play.  Baker improves to 6-5-6 on the season and 2-2-2 in conference play.

 

The No. 6 men's team came out and put pressure on Baker in the opening half.  The Vikings eventually got off 11 total shots in the first half, with a strong wind at their back.  Eventually the Vikings broke through the Baker defense and took a 1-0 lead.  It happened 28 minutes into the match when Sophomore Midfielder Raul Beneit (Cadiz, Spain) scored off an assist by Senior Forward Nicholas Alexander (Manchester, England) and Sophomore Midfielder Carlos Berastain Munar (Palma de Mallorca, Spain).  The Vikings took that 1-0 lead into halftime.

 

The Second half saw MVC keep most of the possession as they held on to the 1-0 lead.  The Vikings had their chances on goal, getting off eight shots, but it was Baker that was able to break through with a goal.  With just over one minute remaining in regulation, a foul called on Junior Midfielder Ivan Ninkov (Pancevo, Serbia) in the MVC penalty box gave Baker a penalty kick.  The penalty kick went in just underneath a diving Senior Keeper Josh Wells (Kent, England) pushing the game to overtime tied at 1-1.

 

In the first overtime period the Vikings had two point-blank chances on goal to win the game, but both were denied by the Baker defense.  In the second overtime a counter-attack by Baker split the Viking defense, and Baker scored the game-winning goal just one minute after the restart to win 2-1.

 

Beneit scored his first goal of the season while Alexander picked up his fourth assist and point No. 22 this season.  Munar now has four assists and 10 total points.

 

The Vikings move to 10-3-3 overall and 2-2-2 in HAAC play.  Baker improves to 10-5-2 overall and 4-1-1 in the conference.

 

The men's and women's teams will travel to Culver-Stockton College Saturday for a HAAC doubleheader.  The women's match begins at 1:00 p.m. and the men's match is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start in Canton, Mo.  The match will mark the end of the 2013 regular season for the women's team.

 

 

 

 

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 40 academic programs, study abroad program, honors program, extracurricular activities, and 13 sports. The most popular majors include education and business, and some new majors are ag-business, nursing, graphic design, and health information systems (associate degree). Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.