WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- In a rematch of an earlier-season non-conference contest that featured five goals and a plethora of back-and-forth activity, Missouri Western traveled to Warrensburg to take on 17th-ranked Central Missouri on Sunday afternoon to close out the regular season schedule. After holding their own through the first half, the Griffons surrendered a pair of early second-half goals to drop a 2-0 result to the Jennies.
Central Missouri had the bulk of the possession in the first half, finishing with a 57-43 percent edge, but Missouri Western was able to create some dangerous chances against the run of play. The most promising opportunity for the Griffons came in the 24th minute, as Kelsey Burkey dispossessed a Central Missouri forward with a well-timed slide tackle at the edge of the 18-yard box and sent a long clearance to Kaili Campbell. Campbell broke out on a counter attack and spotted Sydney Daris slightly off her line and uncorked a shot from 40 yards out. Daris was able to retreat and make the save, keeping the score tied 0-0.
Elizabeth Musilek nearly opened the scoring for Missouri Western in the 49th minute, but her far-post effort was also saved by Daris.
Central Missouri was able to break through in the 54th minute, as the Jennies sent a curling free kick into the box from 40 yards out on the left wing. Kassie Newsom was able to get a head to the ball and sent a high arching ball to the back post where Caroline Cole was able to nod it into the top of the net just past the fingertips of a diving Anna Mayer.
The Griffons nearly equalized in the 66th minute after earning a free kick on the right wing just inside their offensive half. Burkey sent a curling ball in from the right wing that squirted loose into the 18, but Jaden Skinner wasn't able to round the Central Missouri defender shepherding the loose ball back to a sliding Daris.
Moments later, Central Missouri doubled its lead, as Lindsey Edmonds tangled with Lauren Street as the pair was scrambling for a loose ball. Edmonds flailed to the ground on the contact, drawing a whistle and a penalty kick. Mayer read the kick well, but Sydney Leslie placed it just out of reach in the lower right corner.
Although there was a combined total of 33 shots (MWSU 12, UCM 21) in the match, neither team was particularly accurate on the afternoon, with Mayer saving four of UCM's six shots on goal and Daris stopping all three of MWSU's efforts on target.
With the loss, Missouri Western finished the regular season with a 9-7-2 overall record and a 6-5 mark in league play, good for the fifth seed heading into the MIAA Women's Soccer Championship. The Griffons will face fourth-seeded Central Oklahoma in the quarterfinals, as the Bronchos dropped the head-to-head tiebreaker with Northwest Missouri after finishing with an 8-2-1 record in MIAA action. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7, from Edmond, Okla.