SIOUX FALLS - The University of Sioux Falls soccer team will look to get into the win column in 2019 when they travel down to Missouri on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 13-14) after losing a defensive battle with Fort Hays State (Kans.) at the USF Sports Complex on Sept. 8.
On Friday, the Cougars, which tied a program best for wins in a season in 2018, will face Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo., then travel to St. Joseph, Mo., for a Sunday afternoon match. USF is led by fifth-year head coach Brittany Domino.
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For all USF Soccer home matches and all Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contests, watch the Cougars live on Stretch Internet at USFCougars.com/watch. Live stats will be available for all matches. Links to home match live stats are available at USFCougars.com/livestats while links to all road match live stats are available on the USF Soccer schedule at USFCougars.com.
The Rundown (2018 record):
Fri., Sept. 13, 4 p.m. vs. Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats (0-1-1)
Sun., Sept. 15, 1 p.m. vs Missouri Western State University Griffons (0-2-0)
Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats:
The Bearcats, a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) since 2012, will be the first team the Cougars take the pitch against in Missouri on Friday. The Bearcats, in their first two matches, had a season-opening, 2-2 tie against Drury (Mo.) in Springfield, Mo. Then the Bearcats went to Bolivar, Mo., to play Southwest Baptist (Mo.) Bearcats, a team that left the MIAA in 2019 to join the Great Lakes Valley Conference. That match between the Bearcats ended in a 5-2 victory for Southwest Baptist.
Freshman Kaitlyn Case has led the Bearcats offensively, scoring two of the four Bearcat goals. The Bearcats are led by second-year head coach Marc Gordon
Missouri Western State University Griffons:
The Griffons, a longtime member of the MIAA, hosted the Stoney Brook Hotel Classic this past weekend, hosting another 2019 MIAA departure in the Lindenwood (Mo.) Lady Lions and a team that applied to join the MIAA a decade ago but was denied in the Rockhurst (Mo.) Hawks. Both matches ended in 2-0 defeats for the Griffons.
Before playing the Cougars on Sunday, the Griffons will face Wayne State on Friday.
Despite being scoreless going into Friday's match, the leader on the pitch for the Griffons is junior Taylor Schwartzkopf, who has recorded six shots, two on goal. Head Coach Chad Edwards is in his eighth year of coaching the Griffons.
USF Soccer falls in defensive game against Fort Hays State:
This past Sunday, the Cougars took the pitch for their first regular-season match of 2019, as well as the first home event for all of USF Athletics, facing off against the Fort Hays State Tigers, in what was a very competitive and defensive match. The Tigers were the team to capitalize on their chances, winning the contest over the Cougars 1-0.
Senior goalkeeper Brayden Paul and freshman goalkeeper Holli Knudsen split the halves in the net, with both looking comfortable in the backfield. Defense also looked solid, keeping the ball out of the attacking zone 80 percent of the match.
In the Cougars' match, senior Lily McKown, juniors Olivia Valdez, and Kassidy Graber took all three shots for the Cougars, all of which went on goal.
