University of Northern Iowa
Missouri State
UNI soccer drops MVC home opener to Missouri State, 1-0
9/22/2024 3:55:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Panthers struggle to counter first half goal by Bears in first home conference match of the season. UNI hosts Valparaiso next Sunday.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI soccer struggled to counter a first half score by Missouri State on Sunday afternoon as the Panthers fell to the Bears in a 1-0 loss at the UNI Soccer Field in its Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) home opener.
The Bears found the back of the net midway through the first half of action and narrowly outshot the Panthers by a 9-7 margin. Northern Iowa has now lost three consecutive matches, including each of its first two conference matchups.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Denise Camarena got a free kick opportunity for one of UNI's three shot on goal attempts of the match early in the 25th minute, but failed to penetrate the goal defense of Missouri State goalkeeper Camielle Day. The Bears would flip the field on the unsuccessful shot attempt as Julia Kristensen would score unassisted on the west end of the field on a low-right corner shot past UNI goalkeeper Caitlin Richards just seconds later for the 1-0 advantage, a lead that the Bears would carry into halftime.
Northern Iowa worked to apply the pressure on Missouri State's defense in the second half with four shot attempts, but only managed to challenge Day in goal on one attempt. Despite three corner kick opportunities in the final 45 minutes, UNI could not capitalize as the Bears also challenged Richards with two attempts on goal.
Maddie Eastus finished the afternoon with a team-high two shot attempts, with Lauren Heinsch and Olivia Bohl each taking one attempt. Haylee Braun and Macy Smith also took one shot attempt in the match off the bench. Richards closed the match with four saves in goal.
"Today's game was going to be about who was willing to work for the result and I felt like we did that over the 90 minutes," UNI head coach Bruce Erickson explained following the loss. "Missouri State managed to do more up front in the end to get a goal. For some reason, we played better chasing the game. I thought the players we brought into the game changed it for the better."
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ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI falls to 7-25 all-time against Missouri State after Sunday's loss. The Bears have now won four straight matches in the series.
- Northern Iowa has now lost three consecutive matches for the first time since dropping four in a row during the 2022 season to South Dakota State, St. Thomas, Iowa and Valparaiso. It is also UNI's first 0-2 start to league play since 2021.
- Lauren Heinsch has now appeared in 77 matches for the Panthers, two away from tying Hannah McDevitt (2015-18) and Sarah Brandt (2014-17) for the most in program history (79).
- Goalkeeper Caitlin Richards has recorded at least one save in her last 11 matches dating back to last season.
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UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action next Sunday, Sept. 29 as they host the Valparaiso Beacons at the UNI Soccer Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT with live coverage available on ESPN+. UNI will also hold a post-match autograph session on the field.
UNI women's soccer action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Panther Soccer), X (@UNI_Soccer) and on Instagram (@unipanthersoccer). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
