PITTSBURG, Kan. – The No. 6 seed Griffon Soccer team saw its 2026 season come to an end Sunday afternoon, falling 1-0 to No. 3 seed Pittsburg State in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Women's Soccer Tournament at Gorilla Soccer Pitch.
With the loss, MoWest finished the season with an 8-4-7 overall record, while Pittsburg State improved to 14-0-5 and advanced to the MIAA Tournament semifinals.
The Gorillas scored the lone goal of the contest in the 22nd minute when Livi Jones found the back of the net off an assist from Sarah Peyton Webb, giving Pittsburg State a 1-0 advantage.
Despite trailing early, the Griffons continued to generate offensive opportunities throughout the opening half. Kendall Knisley recorded two shots on goal, while Marielle Wright added another attempt on target as MoWest entered halftime trailing by one.
The Griffons finished the opening 45 minutes with six shots, including three on goal, while Pittsburg State registered eight attempts.
MoWest continued to battle in the second half, creating opportunities to find the equalizer. Knisley recorded another shot on goal in the 56th minute, while Alexandra Milano forced a save in the 83rd minute. Kynli Miller added a late attempt in the 87th minute, but the Griffons were unable to break through.
Knisley led the Griffon offense with four shots, including three on goal. Milano and Wright each contributed two shots and one on target, while Miller added one attempt.
Defensively, goalkeeper Morgan Byrd played all 90 minutes and recorded three saves to keep MoWest within striking distance.
Pittsburg State held a 12-9 advantage in total shots, but the Griffons finished with a 5-4 edge in shots on goal. Both teams recorded four corner kicks.
The loss brought the Griffons' 2026 season to a close with an 8-4-7 overall record. MoWest entered the postseason looking to defend its 2025 MIAA Tournament championship after capturing the program's first conference tournament title a season ago.
