ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Missouri Western controlled the action through much of the first half on Friday evening, but a Northwest Missouri State goal in the 42nd minute shook up the Griffons and a second-half goal sealed a 2-0 loss in the regular season home finale.
Through the early part of the match, the Griffons controlled the better part of the flow but weren't able to find a connection in the final third until the 34th minute. Eszter Toth's shot was parried away by the Bearcats' Ashley Williams, falling to the feet of Kaili Campbell, but Campbell wasn't able to get a clean strike of the ball and it went wide right. Toth had another pair of chances in the 35th and 39th minute, but both were off target.
Northwest earned a corner kick during a counter-attack, as a searching through ball glanced off a retreating Griffon defender and rolled over the endline. Sophie Cissell curled the ball into the six-yard box, where Letycia Bonifasio was able to get a touch on the ball moments before a diving Mayer. Jaden Skinner tried to clear the ball out of the goal mouth, but the assistant referee on the far side immediately raised his flag to signal that the ball had crossed the line.
Missouri Western looked slightly out of sorts as the second half got under way, unable to find the rhythm and possession from the first half.
The Bearcats added a second goal in the 68th minute and Missouri Western was only able to find one solid chance over the final 20 minutes as Skinner's 89th-minute shot was saved.
Missouri Western closes out the regular season on the road, taking on #17 Central Missouri at 1 p.m.