Crowder College Roughriders Open With Exhibition at MSSU Lions

The Missouri Southern Lions played host to their new neighbor, the Crowder College Roughriders, on Friday night with an exhibition soccer game played on the artificial surface at the football stadium. The score, 2-0 for the Lions, reflected the difference between the programs with the Junior College team visiting a Division 2 school. It was a competitive game, with goals scored in both periods by the Lions as they were able to limit the number of real opportunities the Roughriders could generate.

I caught the second goal, scored by new signee Kevin Aubuchon, which created strong buzz from his teammates on the sideline. The Lions signed 11 players for the upcoming season, including Stuart Ziegler from West Plains who will provide two-way support from his wide midfield position. Junior Ben Pantzlaff and senior Austin Whiles look to lead the charge from midfield while freshman Lawrence Lartey should see time at forward with Nate Evans (Cassville) and Jesse Clevenger (College Heights) while sophomore Eddie Mulholland (Jeff City) was orchestrating things from the backline.

The Roughriders have a slate of 18 games scheduled, playing against all of the Junior College programs in the state. Their region includes Meramec, Flo Valley (my alma mater and former national champions), East Central, Blue River, Jefferson (2006 Champions) and Maple Woods. With a roster that includes 11 players from Southwest Missouri, 7 from Northwest Arkansas and internationals from Scotland, England and Brazil, I am looking forward to Coach Brad Smith’s ability to blend the talent and cultures that are represented. After seeing Meramec last year in the Regional playoffs, I think they have a chance to surprise some folks this year. There are a few photos from the game available on my Flickr and Smugmug sites as always.