Reaching the NCAA tournament for the second time in program history, the Missouri State women’s soccer team will play No. 16 Oklahoma State in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Stillwater, Okla. The post-season match is scheduled to begin at approximately 12 p.m. at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex.
The winner of the match will advance to the second round to face either Duke, who is ranked No. 2 in the nation by United Soccer Coaches, or UNC-Greensboro at a site to be determined.
The Bears clinched the Missouri Valley Conference’s automatic bid thanks to a stellar run in the 2017 MVC Championship last weekend. The Bears redeemed themselves with a 1-0 win over Loyola and took the title home with a 1-0 victory against the UNI Panthers. Senior standout Brooke Zimmerman was named the MVC Championship Most Valuable Player, while Mary Disidore, Brooke Prondzinski and Brittney Robinson earned All-Tournament Team nods.
Starting goalkeeper Lexi Palacio and the Missouri State defense have posted five shutouts in their last six matches, giving up just one goal to Evansville. The Bears have put together 24 goals and 66 points over the course of the season and enter Saturday’s match with a 10-9-1 overall record.
Missouri State’s only other tournament appearance dates back to 2000, where the team fell in a 2-0 decision at Arizona State. The 2000 team accumulated a 12-11-1 overall record and entered the first round on a three-match winning streak.
Host Oklahoma State is 16-3-2 on the season and boasted a near-perfect 8-1 record in Big 12 action. The Cowgirls’ only losses came at the hands of No. 22 California, No. 7 West Virginia and Baylor. OSU has registered 43 goals this season, while limiting opponents to just 17. Ranked 16th in the nation by United Soccer Coaches, Oklahoma State has tallied 121 points and four Cowgirls have recorded 11 or more points apiece.
The Bears are 2-5 all-time against Oklahoma State, meeting last in the 2013 season. Missouri State dropped a 3-1 decision at OSU, where Molly Huber stepped up and drilled a penalty kick past OSU’s keeper for the Bears’ only goal. Missouri State’s last victory was on Sept. 8, 1999 when the Bears claimed the contest 4-0 at home. The Bears are 0-4 when playing at OSU.
Kickoff at Cowgirl Soccer Complex is slated for 12 p.m. Tickets for Saturday’s match are available through the OSU Athletics Ticket Office where general admission tickets are $10 and youth tickets are $5.
