Missouri State field hockey took the Mid-American Conference's second-place Miami (Ohio) Redhawks to overtime, but a Miami goal less than four minutes into the extra session spoiled Senior Day at Plaster Field and gave the Bears a 2-1 loss.
Alyssa Hile (Wildwood, Mo.), one of the Bears' four seniors, fittingly scored the game's first goal, an unassisted goal in the game's 16th minute. The goal was Hile's 10th of the year, setting her career high for a single season.
MSU held the 1-0 until the 23rd minute when Miami's Maggie Marcum knotted the score with a shot from four yards out.
From there, a defensive battle ensued. Making her first start of the season in goal, sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Crawford (Columbus, Ohio) performed well and held the high-powered Miami offense scoreless for the rest of regulation. After allowing a goal on Miami's first shot on goal, Crawford held strong, saving the next four Miami shots.
But the sixth Miami shot on goal was the decider. In the game's 74th minute, the Redhawks' Christine Brightwell took a loose ball and fired a shot from near the top of the circle, 11 yards out, and found the back of the net. It ended the game and gave Miami a win, 2-1. The outcome is a far cry from the Bears' 9-0 loss in Oxford, the last time these teams met.
But despite the loss, there were still plenty of positive feelings emanating from the Bear sideline.
"I was glad that we could go out like this," senior Molly Busch (San Jose, Calif.) said. "Even though we lost, it was still a good effort. My whole family was here and I love this team, so it was a good day."
Hile and Busch joined fellow seniors Katherine Aslin (Wildwood, Mo.) and Melissa Lantz (Wildwood, Mo.) in a pre-game ceremony to honor their four years as a Missouri State student-athlete.
"I think their level of play and their dedication to the program has been huge," head coach Dawn Callahan said. "They have been good role models this year for our underclassmen. We will definitely miss their desire, their work ethic and their heart next year. We have some big shoes to fill."
With the loss, the Bears drop to 4-13, 1-7 in the MAC. Miami improves to 10-8, 6-2 in the MAC.
The Bears conclude their regular season next weekend at Central Michigan, with games Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1.
Courtesy: MSU Photo Services
