ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The 20th-ranked, undefeated Missouri Western soccer team (11-0-1, 6-0-0 MIAA) hits the road for a pair of matches against Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State. MWSU has won its last 10 matches, which is the longest streak in program history.
The weekend will kick off against the Lopers on Friday at 2:00 p.m. from Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field in Kearney, Nebraska. Action will conclude on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. from FHSU Soccer Stadium in Hays, Kansas.
A WEEK TO REMEMBER
The Griffons did not disappoint the home crowd last week at Spratt Stadium. They became the sole leader in the conference standings after extending their winning streak to 10 matches with a 2-0 victory over Northeastern State on Friday and a 1-0 victory over No. 5 Central Missouri—their first win over UCM since 2018.
Rachyl Benavides chipped in a goal against the RiverHawks and
Camrin Peaslee scored the game-winner in the upset victory over the Jennies on Sunday. Senior
Keeley Kroonenberg (9-0-1) collected a clean sheet in both matches and finished with three saves.
Annie McDevitt's effort on the defensive side of the pitch earned her the MIAA Defender of the Week honor. The junior midfielder helped anchor the Griffon defense, which limited the RiverHawks to just one shot on goal and Central Missouri to only two shots on goal. She also tallied her first career assist in the 2-0 victory over the RiverHawks and added a shot on goal against the Jennies.
FINALLY RANKED
Missouri Western made its first appearance in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, entering at No. 20 after receiving votes last week. The Griffons had an impressive performance last week, including handing No. 5 Central Missouri their first loss in MIAA play this season. This helped them gain national recognition for the first time since 2021.
Also in the poll, Central Missouri dropped 20 spots to 25th, and the defending MIAA Champion Washburn Ichabods jumped six spots to No. 16.
MIAA STANDINGS
| SCHOOL |
CONF |
CPTS |
CPCT |
OVERALL |
PCT |
STREAK |
| Missouri Western |
6-0 |
18 |
1.000 |
11-0-1 |
.958 |
W10 |
| Washburn |
4-0-1 |
13 |
.900 |
7-2-2 |
.727 |
W4 |
| Central Missouri |
4-1-1 |
13 |
.750 |
7-3-2 |
.667 |
L1 |
| Northwest Missouri |
3-1-2 |
11 |
.667 |
5-2-5 |
.625 |
W1 |
| Central Oklahoma |
3-1-2 |
11 |
.667 |
6-4-2 |
.583 |
W2 |
| Fort Hays State |
3-2-1 |
10 |
.583 |
6-3-3 |
.625 |
W1 |
| Emporia State |
2-2-1 |
7 |
.500 |
4-4-2 |
.500 |
W1 |
| Northeastern State |
2-3 |
6 |
.400 |
8-3 |
.727 |
L1 |
| Nebraska Kearney |
1-3-2 |
5 |
.333 |
5-3-4 |
.583 |
L1 |
| Pittsburg State |
1-3-2 |
5 |
.333 |
5-5-2 |
.500 |
L1 |
| Rogers State |
0-3-2 |
2 |
.200 |
1-8-2 |
.182 |
L1 |
| Missouri Southern |
0-4-2 |
2 |
.167 |
1-7-4 |
.250 |
L2 |
| Newman |
0-6 |
0 |
.000 |
0-11-1 |
.042 |
L10 |
TOP PERFORMERS
Kendall Knisley has been a crucial contributor to the Western offense. The sophomore has accumulated 10 points from distributing four assists and scoring three goals. Furthermore, her 29 shots rank ninth in the MIAA.
Lauren Nylund has performed exceptionally this season, recording 10 points in 1069 minutes. The senior defender has netted five goals, which is tied for the third-highest in the league, and shares the most game-winning goals with three.
Keeley Kroonenberg (9-0-1) has a 0.51 goals-against average and a 0.833 save percentage heading into the weekend. The senior goalkeeper has collected four clean sheets this season, with three coming in the last three matches.
Other notable performers include
Camrin Peaslee, who has scored four goals, and
Aidyn Woodall, who has scored three.
Corinne Stewart has also been a key offensive player with 26 shots, while
Brookelyn Buttolph has played 1064 minutes on defense.
ABOUT THE LOPERS
Nebraska-Kearney heads into tomorrow's match with a 5-4-4 (1-3-2 MIAA) record. They opened the season strong at 4-0-2, which included a 0-0 draw with No. 23 Concordia-St. Paul. However, they have struggled to find their footing in MIAA play, as their lone win in conference play was a 3-2 nail-bitter against a winless Newman Jets team last weekend. Last season, they went 3-13-2 and tied the Griffons 1-1 at Spratt Stadium.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State has had a solid start to the 2024 campaign with a record of 6-3-3 (3-2-1 MIAA). The Tigers performed well in non-conference matches, achieving a 3-1-2 record and ending with three consecutive victories against Southwest Minnesota State, Southwestern Oklahoma State and Northwestern Oklahoma State. They have claimed wins against Missouri Southern, Pittsburg State, and Newman in league play and have fallen to Central Missouri (2-0) and Central Oklahoma (5-2). In 2023, FHSU finished 13-5-3 and dropped their match against Emporia State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, 2-1.
