Missouri State (7-1-3, 2-0-1) and UNI (9-1-1, 2-1 MVC) both picked up a pair of league wins this past week climbed atop the standings through matches of Sept. 24. Missouri State leads the league with 7 points; while UNI, Drake, and UIC all have 6 points.
The league's top two-rated programs in the NCAA RPI report are UNI (84) and Missouri State (114). Drake is also in the Top 150 (147).
Three league schools are still perfect at home. Missouri State (4-0-2), UNI (7-0-0) and Valparaiso (3-0-0) have yet to lose a home match in 2023. Overall, the MVC is 7-2-6 in Conference play at home sites.
UIC put on a show at Flames Field for Senior Day against Drake. The Flames beat the Bulldogs 3-1 Sunday and broke Drake’s unbeaten conference record.
Wearing green kits (green is the official color of mental health awareness), Drake women’s soccer defeated SIU, 2-1 in its Mental Health Matters Game on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Belmont BRUINS
- Belmont women's soccer (1-5-4, 0-0-2 MVC) squared off with Murray State (2-6-2, 0-0-2 MVC) Thursday night at E.S. Rose Park. Neither team found the back of the goal, as the match ended in a scoreless draw.
- Belmont women's soccer (1-6-3, 0-1-2 MVC) traveled to Missouri State (7-1-3, 2-0-1 MVC) Sunday afternoon, for their first road MVC match. The reigning MVC Tournament Champions scored twice early and kept the Bruins off the board. The Bears prevailed in the match, 2-0.
- After the first half, Belmont trailed 2-0. Missouri State led the half in shots, 6-2. Belmont had opportunities to score with three corner kicks, but couldn't convert. Belmont's second-half play improved with help from key players off the bench. Freshmen Laken Whittington and Anna Samuel played a season-high 42 and 33 minutes respectively.
DRAKE BULLDOGS
- In its Mental Health Matters game donning green uniforms, the Drake women's soccer team persevered in a thrilling second half to top Southern Illinois, 2-1 at Drake Stadium on Thursday (Sept. 21).
- The score remained tied 1-1 until the 77th minute. Zoey Mahoney conjured up her magic again on a flip throw into the six-yard box finding the head of Emma Nagel. Layla Kelbel was waiting for the ball on the left side of the box and deposited the ball outside the reach of Symes for the eventual game-winner.
- The Drake women's soccer team suffered its first road and conference loss of the season in a 3-1 decision against UIC at Flames Field on Sunday, Sept. 24.
EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES
- Vasquez (Las Vegas, Nev./Coronado) gathered in a loose ball on top of the six-yard box and buried it into the back of the net for her first collegiate goal to give UE a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute. UE would maintain the lead for the next 30-plus minutes, until Valparaiso was able to equalize on a corner kick of its own on a header by Chase Ray in the 37th minute. During game against Valpo on Thursday.
- University of Evansville senior goalkeeper Myia Danek (Laingsburg, Mich./Laingsburg) posted her fourth shutout of the 2023 season on Sunday, as the Purple Aces' women's soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to four matches with a 0-0 draw at Murray State.
UIC FLAMES
- The UIC women's soccer team (2-5-2, 1-1 MVC) dropped a hard fought contest against Northern Iowa (8-1-1, 1-1 MVC), falling to the Panthers 1-0 Thursday afternoon.
- The UIC women's soccer team (3-5-2, 2-1 MVC) put on a show at Flames Field for Senior Day against Drake. The Flames beat the Bulldogs 3-1 Sunday afternoon behind goals from Emmy Higgins (Evansville, Ind./Castle), Makenna Maloy (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville), Katelyn Nardulli (Naperville, Ill./Xavier). The win for UIC broke Drake’s unbeaten conference record.
- The Flames came out swinging early against an undefeated Drake squad. Maloy positioned for a corner kick two minutes into the match, finding Higgins, who knocked it in. The Flames took an early lead.
ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS
- The Redbirds fell 4-1 to the Missouri State Bears on the road in Springfield, Missouri in the second week of Missouri Valley Conference play on Thursday. Despite the Redbirds scoring first, Missouri State was able to snap the ‘Birds unbeaten streak before it reached six games.
- The Redbirds notched the first goal in the match, coming on Kelsi McLaughlin's unassisted goal in the 29th minute, yet the Redbirds were shut-out for the rest of the remaining time in the match. The lone goal was McLaughlin's first goal of the 2023 season.
- Illinois State look to bounce back, and earn its first conference win as they will take on Belmont next Thursday in another road match in Nashville, before returning home to face the Salukis of Southern Illinois.
INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES
- Valparaiso scored two goals in the first half and held off a pressing second-half attack from Indiana State as the Sycamores fell to the visiting Beacons on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, 2-0.
- The Sycamores (1-3-6, 0-1-1) outshot the Beacons (5-2-3, 1-0-1) 9-8 and held the 6-1 edge in corner kicks on Sunday afternoon in the second MVC contest for both teams. Indiana State pressed the attack in the second half with five hots including four on target over the final 45 minutes, but Valparaiso goalkeeper Nikki Coryell posted seven saves in posting the shutout.
- Indiana State heads back on the road this week as the Sycamores open the trip on Thursday night in Des Moines, Iowa, taking on Drake University.
MISSOURI STATE BEARS
- With Abby Couch and Kaeli Benedict each contributing a goal and an assist, the Missouri State women's soccer team dominated visiting Illinois State, 4-1, on Thursday to secure their first victory of the conference season.
- Just before the intermission, Carly Raunig secured the game-winner for the Bears with another goal in the 42nd minute. O'Keefe assisted Raunig to help her get her third goal of the season.
- The Missouri State women's soccer team capped off a successful weekend at home with a 2-0 win over Belmont on Sunday.
- The Bears (7-1-3, 2-0-1 MVC) struck early against the Bruins. Grace O'Keefe put the Bears on the board off an assist from Hailey Chambliss in just the fifth minute. O'Keefe was approximately 12 yards away when she sent the ball straight into the back of the net and past Belmont's goalkeeper Sarah Doyle. This was O'Keefe's first goal of the season.
Murray State RACERS
- The Murray State women's soccer team ended Thursday's match in Nashville, Tennessee, with Belmont in a scoreless draw.
- The Racers outshot the Bruins 9-3 in the first half and 12-6 for the match. Mary Hardy led the field in shots with six and four of them on goal. Tori Schrimpf added four shots, putting two in frame.
- The Murray State women's soccer team notched a point in conference play for the third consecutive match after ending in a scoreless draw with Evansville at Cutchin Field on Sunday.
- The Racers outshot the Aces 12-10 for the match and 7-3 in the second half. Sydney Etter led the field with four shots, putting two on goal. Kate Stordy put both of her shots on target and Hailey Cole put one of her two shots in frame.
UNI PANTHERS
- UNI soccer recorded its second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) shutout on Sunday afternoon, downing the Southern Illinois Salukis 3-0 at UNI Soccer Field.
- The Panthers wore green socks during Sunday's contest for mitochondrial disease awareness. Olivia Knoepfle scored her first collegiate brace in UNI's three-goal victory, and Denise Camarena added her first collegiate goal.
- Allison Groothuis lofted a ball in behind SIU's back line from near midfield and Knoepfle raced in behind the Saluki defense and converted yet another breakaway opportunity to extend UNI's lead to 3-0.
- UNI has a week off before playing its third consecutive MVC home match on Oct. 1 against the Indiana State Sycamores.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS
- The Southern Illinois University women's soccer team (1-5-3) fell to Drake, 2-1, on Thursday night in Des Moines, Iowa.
- The Southern Illinois University women's soccer team (1-6-3) were blanked on the road at Northern Iowa on Sunday, falling by a score of 3-0.
- In the 3-0 loss, Chantelle Symes made one save in 53 minutes before leaving the match. McKensey Bunch made her first career appearance in-goal, making two saves in the final 37 minutes.
- The Salukis are back at home on Thursday to host Evansville at 6 p.m.
VALPARAISO BEACONS
- Coming off an 11-day layoff from competition and facing an early deficit, the Valpo soccer team battled back through a set-piece goal from senior Chase Ray (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue) to level the match at Evansville, but despite enjoying the better of the second half, the Beacons were unable to pull ahead as Thursday night’s fixture ended in a 1-1 draw.
- Senior Chase Ray (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue) scored one of the quickest goals to open a match in program history, finding the back of the net 72 seconds into Sunday’s MVC match at Indiana State, and junior Sam Gountounas (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) added another tally midway through the first half as the Valpo soccer team came away with three road points courtesy of a 2-0 win over the Sycamores.