ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Griffon soccer team (5-0-1) brings its undefeated record into conference play this week, facing Northwest Missouri State (2-1-3) on Wednesday and Rogers State (1-5) on Friday at Spratt Stadium.
 
 The Griffons' conference opener against the Bearcats is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. It's 'Paint It Black!' night; the first 100 students will receive complimentary Vuvuzelas. With a win, MWSU will secure its best start in program history.
 
Fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to Friday's match with the Hillcats at 7:30 p.m. at the Bill Snyder Pavilion for 'Pups at the Pitch' night.
 
Tommy Rezac will voice both matches, beginning with a pregame interview with coach Jacob Plocher 15 minutes before each game on GoGriffons.com/listen.
 
BUY TICKETS
Fans are encouraged to skip the lines and save money by purchasing tickets in advance. You can buy tickets online through the Griffon Box Office or the Hometown Ticketing Fan App. Tickets on game days will also be available at the Spratt Stadium ticket office.
 
WATCH ONLINE - MIAA NETWORK
All MIAA football, women's soccer, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball, baseball and softball regular season conference games will be streamed live on the MIAA Network. The MIAA Network showcased over 1,500 live broadcasts for its 14 member schools last season. For more information, visit https://www.themiaanetwork.com/.
 
LISTEN - VARSITY NETWORK APP & GoGriffons.com/listen
Live streams of Missouri Western athletics are now available on The Varsity Network app. All home and away football and men's and women's basketball games will be available to listen to for free on Varsity and at GoGriffons.com/listen. Available on iPhone and Android, fans can access free audio streams for game days on the Varsity Network App. Fans can also receive push notifications as reminders for upcoming games and broadcasts. Once you download The Varsity Network app, search 'Missouri Western' and select which Griffon teams you want to follow. For more information on The Varsity Network and how to listen to the Griffons, click here. Audio broadcasts can also be found at GoGriffons.com/listen. Audio broadcasts will also be archived at GoGriffons.com/listen in the 'On Demand' section, and on the Griffon Sports Insider Podcast, which is available on Spotify, Apple and wherever you podcast.
 
HISTORY AGAINST NWMSU
The Griffons and Bearcats have faced each other 33 times since 2005, with the Bearcats holding a 17-9-7 series advantage. Northwest has controlled the series recently, winning five out of the last seven meetings against Western. MWSU has a 6-8-4 record at home against NWMSU, with their previous win coming in 2019.
 
Last season, the Griffons dropped a 2-0 decision against the Bearcats in Maryville. Jaden Skinner led the offensive attack, which finished with 10 shots (seven on goal). Kroonenberg had a busy afternoon with seven saves in goal.
 
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
Northwest Missouri State finished the 2023 campaign 8-5-6 (5-2-4 MIAA) and was picked to finish fourth with fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll with 99 points.
 
The Bearcats go into this week's game against the Griffons with a record of 2-1-3. They wrapped up non-conference play with a solid 1-0 win against the Augustana Vikings in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They also played to ties with No. 2 Grand Valley State and No. 15 Minnesota State.

HISTORY AGAINST RSU
Missouri Western and Rogers State have met four times since 2019, and the Griffons hold a 3-1 record against the Hillcats. Winner of the last three matches, MWSU has outscored RSU 5-0, including a 2-0 win last season in Claremore, Oklahoma.
 
Last season, Missouri Western outshot Rogers State 24-7 in a 2-0 away win. Both of Western's goals were scored in the second half, with Elisabeth Pujado netting the game-winner and Skinner adding insurance with a penalty kick goal in the 53rd minute.
 
ABOUT THE HILLCATS
Rogers State finished 2023 with a 7-9-2 (4-7 MIAA) record last season and was picked ninth with 58 points in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
The Hillcats have had a tough season, ending the non-conference with a 1-5 record. Their sole victory came against Ouachita Baptist, with a score of 2-1 on their home turf. They have suffered four of their five losses by just one goal.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Last week, the Griffons extended their winning streak to four games with wins over Rockhurst and Missouri S&T, elevating their record to the second-best start in program history.
 
On Tuesday, the Griffons turned around a 1-0 halftime deficit by scoring three goals in the second half to secure a 3-1 victory against the Hawks.
 
The Griffons had offensive production in the first half, firing off 13 shots (seven on goal) and controlling over half of the possession time. However, the Hawks were able to strike first with a goal from Elle Kimball (assist Julia Witt) in the 17th minute to take a 1-0 advantage to the half.
 
Missouri Western changed the story with an impressive performance in the second half. Junior Annie McDevitt scored her first goal of the season in the 51st minute. Rachyl Benavides provided her first assist with a well-placed cross.
 
Junior forward Camrin Peaslee scored the game-winning goal in the 68th minute with a header after receiving a well-placed pass from freshman Ava Jellen. Jellen then got her second career assist just under five minutes later when Aidyn Woodall scored an insurance goal to secure the win for the team.
 
Keeley Kroonenberg, the senior goalkeeper for the Griffons, achieved her 10th career victory in goal. Hailing from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, she displayed several alert plays and two crucial saves during the win.
 
Lauren Nylund, who earned the title of MIAA Defender of the Week for two consecutive weeks, played a crucial part in leading the defense and gave a strong performance throughout the entire game. Woodall, McDevitt, Katelynn Rowland, Nicoletta Froehlich and Brookelyn Buttolph also delivered solid 90-minute performances for MWSU.
 
The Griffons finished non-conference play with a perfect record, securing a 1-0 win over the Missouri S&T Miners on Friday.
 
In the first 45 minutes of the game, Missouri Western took eight shots, four on goal, while Missouri S&T didn't manage to take any shots. The goalkeeper, Anastasia Barcom, made some remarkable saves, including stopping a penalty kick from Nylund in the 13th minute and punching away another chance from Knisley in the 34th minute.
 
In the final 90 minutes, Western promptly secured the winning goal when Woodall tabbed her second goal of the season in the 50th minute. This crucial goal was made possible by a well-executed through ball from Knisley, who earned her second assist of the season.
 
In her fifth start of the season, Kroonenberg (4-0-1) secured a save and a win. Sophie Wellinghoff, another senior, took over in the goal for the last 17 minutes of the shutout victory.
 
Rowland, McDevitt, Buttolph and Froehlich formed the core of the Griffons' defense, limiting the Miners to just three shots, with only one being on goal. Throughout the entire 90-minute match, this trio remained on the field without any substitutions.