GLVC Soccer: Panthers Win, Grab 5th Seed In Tourney

Grant Bowden, Drury Panthers (2011)

Grant Bowden, Drury Panthers (2011)

Senior Grant Bowden’s header goal (video below) in the 26th minute Sunday afternoon gave Drury all it needed to pull out a 1-0 Great Lakes Valley Conference soccer victory over Saint Joseph’s on Senior Day at Harrison Stadium in The Curry Family Sports Complex.

Bowden’s second goal of the season helped the Panthers to improve to 10-6 overall and 9-5 in the GLVC as they secured their spot in the eight-team GLVC Tournament field which opens play on Oct. 31. Drury will be the No. 5 seed and visit No. 4 Quincy next Sunday at a time to be determined. Saint Joseph’s fell to 8-7-1 and 6-7-1.

DU junior keeper Stephen Conner picked up his seventh shutout of the season and school-record 21st of his career for the Panthers. Drury outshot the visiting Pumas 14-4 on a day when the program recognized 12 seniors in post-game ceremonies for their contributions in their final home game of the season – Blake Wilson, Ben Taylor, Peter Higgins, Mason North, Danny Collins, Alex Palmer, Connor McClellan, Adam Peterson, Micah Whorton, Taylor Stacy, David Emnett and Bowden.

PHOTO GALLERY FROM SENIOR RECOGNITION POST-GAME

The Panthers will close out the regular season with a non-conference match at Harding on Tuesday in Searcy, Ark. The Panthers travel to No. 4 seed Quincy (10-4-2) for a first round GLVC Tourney game next Sunday. Drury (10-6-0) finished as the No. 5 seed.

Drury Panthers Peterson, Collins and Palmer Final Regular Season Homestand

Drury Panther seniors - Peterson, Collins, Palmer

Drury Panther seniors - Peterson, Collins, Palmer

Four years of hard work on the pitch is coming to a conclusion for a trio of local boys. Adam Peterson (Kickapoo), Danny Collins (Glendale) and Alex Palmer (Kickapoo) are playing in their final two regular season home games this Friday and Sunday. Each of these young men excelled during high school and have become important contributors to a nationally recognized program at Drury. They share some thoughts on the highlights of the four years that have gone by quite a bit faster then they would have anticipated back in August 2007 when preseason training began.

Friday October 22nd at 7:30 pm – Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers
Sunday October 24th at 12:00 pm – St Joseph’s

The team will reach the GLVC playoffs but a pair of wins this weekend could lead to a home game on Sunday October 31st. You can help these representatives of SGFsoccer.com achieve that goal by coming out for a game and lending your support to their efforts. See you there!

Jersey – Player – Games Played – Games Started – Goals – Assists – Points
14 Peterson, Adam 14-3 0 2 2
6 Collins, Danny 14-4 2 1 5
15 Palmer, Alex 14-8 0 4 4

Drury Panthers Grab Key Win Over Bellarmine

Michael Yuede, Drury Panthers (2014)

Michael Yuede, Drury Panthers (2014)

Drury pulled away from a scoreless halftime tie with second-half goals from freshman Michael Yuede (pictured) and senior Ben Taylor for a 2-0 victory over Bellarmine in Great Lakes Valley Conference men’s soccer play Friday night at Harrison Stadium.

The Panthers moved to 7-4-0 overall and 6-3-0 in the GLVC, while Bellarmine fell to 6-4-1 and 4-4-1.

Yuede scored off a header for his first collegiate goal just three minutes into the second half, with assists by seniors Micah Whorton and Alex Palmer for the 1-0 lead. Taylor gave the Panthers some breathing room with his goal from five yards out off a Matt Baker assist at 71:12 for the 2-0 cushion. Junior keeper Stephen Conner had seven saves in goal in posting his fifth shutout of the season and school-record 19th of his career despite Bellarmine outshooting the Panthers 14-9.

“I”m very happy with the performance and result,” Drury coach Ryan Swan said. “The guys responded brilliantly in the second half and really earned tonight’s victory.”

The Panthers are back home on Sunday, playing host to Kentucky Wesleyan in a GLVC match at noon at Harrison Stadium.

Ole’s Notes: The first half had a frantic pace to it and neither coach was happy with the ref, but that’s a broken record in my estimation. The Panther’s Peter Higgin’s was ejected from the game late in the first half when he received his second yellow, for dissent I believe. His teammates held off the Knights for the final 10 minutes and came out prepared to play their game finally. There have been some line up changes, the most significant switching Blake Wilson back to center back and moving Brendan Langford to defensive midfield. Matt Hutchinson and Mike Yuede are getting more minutes at midfield as well, earning the start along with Dave Emnett, and both delivered this evening as they’ve adapted to the pace and style of play Coach Swan is looking for. The style of play in the second half was solid and consistent, despite being a man down. Alec Nagel, Danny Collins, Matt Baker, Adam Peterson, Alex Palmer, Mason North and Adam Heiligenstein were the subs and the pace and hustle this group brought to the game helped keep Bellarmine on their heels. Now for a few more half’s like that last one.

Drury Panthers Grab OT Win Over Rockhurst

Micah Whorton, Drury Panthers (2011)

Micah Whorton, Drury Panthers (2011)

Drury Panthers – 3 (2nd OT)
Rockhurst Hawks – 2
From DruryPanthers.com – Micah Whorton’s goal off a Peter Higgins assist with 6:34 left in the second overtime rallied Drury to a 3-2 victory over Rockhurst in a Great Lakes Valley Conference men’s soccer match Sunday afternoon at Harrison Stadium.

See the Video below! Photo Gallery

Whorton’s goal capped a furious comeback after Drury trailed 2-1 with just over 10 minutes left in regulation. But senior David Emnett scored from 15 yards out on an assist from freshman Matt Baker in the 79th minute with the goal that would force overtime.

After a scoreless initial 10-minute extra period, Higgins worked his way toward the goal from the right side and fired a pass to Whorton, who put it home to touch off a DU celebration as the Panthers improved to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the GLVC with their fourth straight victory.

Senior Danny Collins got the Panthers on the board first wen he scored from three yards away in the 13th minute, off an assist from freshman Alec Nagel and senior Alex Palmer, for a 1-0 advantage before Rockhurst tied it on Curt McDonald’s goal in the 34th minute to send the teams to halftime knotted at 1-1.

Paolo Scoppola scored an improbable goal from 20 yards out over the head of DU keeper Stephen Conner at 59:42 to give the Hawks (3-2, 2-2 in the GLVC) a 2-1 advantage before the Panthers rallied.

Conner had five saves, matching Rockhurst keeper Kyle Clawson, as the Panthers outshot the visiting Hawks by a 13-9 count.

Drury returns to action on Tuesday, playing Quincy at 7 p.m. at Cosmo Park in Columbia in a makeup of their rained-out GLVC match in Quincy on September 10.

Drury Panthers Shut Out Truman State

Blake Wilson, Drury Panthers (2011) scores game winner

Blake Wilson, Drury Panthers (2011) scores game winner

Drury Panthers - 2
Truman State Bulldogs – 0
Senior Blake Wilson, moved from central defense to the midfield this season, scored his first career goal for the Panthers today in the 10th minute to give Drury the early lead and eventual win. The goal came from a throw-in by senior Alex Palmer (Kickapoo) as Wilson slipped in front of his defender to head the ball just under the crossbar (pictured). The goal came after a the Panther’s weathered an aggressive attacking effort by the Bulldogs as they held on and eventually found their way into the offensive end.

Drury scored a second via penalty kick when Micah Whorton scored in the 38th minute after David Emnett drew the foul in the box. Junior keeper Stephen Conner (Glendale) picked up his third shutout of the season and school-record 17th of his career in the contest as the Bulldogs (2-2) outshot the Panthers by a 13-8 count.

The Panthers started seniors Danny Collins (Glendale) and Alex Palmer (Kickapoo) and Adam Peterson (Kickapoo) was the first sub and earned significant minutes as well. There were also three freshman starters, with Brendan Langford at center back, Matt Hutchinson (CBC) at left half and Alec Nagel (Jeff City) at forward, the same line up that was featured at Lewis with the injury to Ben Taylor two weeks ago. Freshmen Matt Baker, Michael Yuede and Adam Heiligenstein also saw minutes.

I think sr David Emnett deserves more minutes at forward or attacking midfielder. He’s doing the little things including providing a reliable outlet on throw-ins (critical to holding the ball in tight games like today) and his work rate and passing free up Whorton. It was not an exemplary performance by the boys today as they had difficulty keeping the ball on the ground and finding their teammates. Part of that was due to the quality of the Bulldogs play, as they’ll rue this as one that got away, but the Panther’s were their own worst enemy today. That’s the good news as well as they got the win in difficult circumstances against a quality opponent.

Here’s an interview with Captain Blake Wilson following the win at Lewis on Sep 5th

Drury is off to a 3-1 start overall after last Sunday’s 1-0 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory at Illinois-Springfield on a goal by senior Peter Higgins in the game’s 48th minute.

Truman State is now 2-2, having defeated defending NCAA-II national champion Fort Lewis 2-1 last Friday in Kirksville. The Bulldogs also have defeated St. Edward’s 3-0 and lost to William Jewell 3-0. The Panthers and Bulldogs have met each of the last six seasons, with Drury holding a 3-2-1 record in that stretch with three consecutive victories, including a 4-2 decision in Kirksville last season.

Friday’s match will feature live audio play-by-play on Stretch Internet, with DU media student John Miller calling the action, as well as live stats.

The Panthers will continue the homestand on Sunday when Rockhurst visits Harrison for a noon start in GLVC play. Sunday’s match with Rockhurst will represent the first televised DU soccer match on Mediacom 22, and will be shown on a tape-delay basis throughout next week.

Drury Panthers Dismantle MSSU Lions

Drury Panthers vs Missouri Southern Lions
Micah Whorton scoring the final goal

Drury Panthers – 5
Missouri Southern Lions – 0
The Drury Panthers looked like a finally tuned sports car this evening as they faced their Western neighbors. The goals were all scored from inside the six yard box as the Panthers moved the ball with pace and urgency throughout the game. The first came in the 6th minute when Peter Higgins nodded a header past the keeper that was sent in by Ben Taylor. Marco Cherisma scored a pair, the first in the 13th minute from Taylor’s assist, the second in the 32nd from Steve Wilczewski.

The second goal was a classic, as the play started near the center circle as Higgin’s received a ball that he sent back to Taylor who was already beginning to move forward from his defensive position. Taylor’s give-and-go with Wilczewski 35 yards out was perfectly weighted and sent Taylor in unmarked on the left side. His run into the box allowed him to pick Cherisma out with a square ball that completely exposed the Lion’s defense.

With the #1 ranked University of Northern Kentucky Norsemen game on Friday, the Panther’s began looking to the bench early in the second half and the attack continued. The sense of urgency only seemed to increase as the competition for playing time on this squad is high. Micah Whorton was the primary beneficiary as he scored a brace in the second half, the first as he walked a ball into the net after the keeper went down and the second via header (pictured above) at the far post.

The Panther’s lost their final 4 conference games last year, including a 2-0 loss to NKU in their final home game, eliminating them from the GLVC playoffs. The string began after a 1-0 OT win at MSSU October 7th. While there is an obvious difference on the scoreboard, the key question is will not be ability. As I noted last year, it was not opportunity or ability that doomed the Panthers, it was a lack of discipline. Much like a players success in the transition from high school to college is defined not by athleticism or skill, but attitude, so will the Panther’s success this weekend be determined by their mental toughness.

And lest I forget, the Women will also have a challenge on their hands as the UNK Lady Norse are now ranked #3 in the Midwest Region, just behind Wisconsin-Parkside and ahead of #8 Drury. They just cracked the national rankings as well, at #20.

Coester’s Regional College Soccer Report

bearhead_125.jpg Missouri State Bears – 1
Western Michigan Broncos – 0
Senior Allison Osmundson netted the game-winning goal at the 61:38 minute mark in the second-half to give Missouri State their second win on the weekend. The Bears improved their record to 5-3-1 on the season. Tara Bailes (Catholic 2008) came on as a substitute.

Drury Panthers LogoDrury Panthers – 3
Bellarmine Knights – 1
The Panthers wasted little time getting on the board, with Nicole Williams getting a goal off a Mandi Little assist at the 4:41 mark. The Panthers pulled out of a halftime tie with two second-half goals to beat Bellarmine 3-1 in Great Lakes Valley Conference action. The Panthers are now 4-2-1 overall and a league-leading 4-0 in GLVC play.

Drury Panthers – 3
Bellarmine Knights – 1
Receiving another two goals from junior Steve Wilczewski, the Drury men’s soccer Panthers blanked Bellarmine4-0 in Great Lakes Valley Conference action Sunday. Wilczewski (Glendale 2006) scored his league-leading seventh and eighth goals to help the Panthers move to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the GLVC. Adam Peterson (Kickapoo 2007) also added a goal and an assist. Kyler Temple (Kickapoo 2008), Alex Palmer (Kickapoo 2007) and Danny Collins (Glendale 2007) also played.

Southwest Baptist Bearcats – 1
Northwest Missouri Bearcats – 0
In a tough-fought match, SBU’s lone goal came in the 32nd minute of the first half. Nicola Cousins was the scorer, putting her at 6 goals for the season. She was supplied by sophomore, Jaymye Ross. Ross now has 4 assists for the season. Johanna Olsson kept her third clean sheet of the year, making 7 saves. SBU now sits at 4-0 on the season and 3-0 in the MIAA.

Miners Logo headMissouri S&T Miners Missouri S&T Miners – 1
Northern Kentucky Norsemen – 3
Steven Beattie broke a one-all tie with a goal 14 minutes into the second half and the Norse, ranked No. 1 in the NSCAA Division II poll, added a second goal later in the period to come away with their 29th straight regular season win since the Miners won at NKU in 2006. Hays (Kickapoo 2008) and Moore (Rolla 2005) started.

Missouri S&T Miners – 1
Northern Kentucky Norsemen – 6
Tied at 1-1 going into the break the Lady Miners gave up five goals in the second half to fall at Northern Kentucky 6-1 on Sunday afternoon in Wilder, Ky. Rachel Moore (Rolla 2006) started.

Missouri Southern LionsMissouri Southern Lions Missouri Southern Lions – 1
Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks – 4
With the match knotted at 1-1, the No. 5-ranked Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks scored three unanswered goals to defeat the Missouri Southern Lions 4-1 Saturday afternoon at Omaha, Neb. Freshman Randi Russell (Joplin 2008) made a career-high nine saves for the Lions while earning her second straight start. McKenzie (Webb City 2008) started, with Altman (Joplin 2008) and Ragains (Lebanon 2008) coming on as substitutes.

Missouri Southern Lions – 0
West Texas A&M Buffs – 2
The Lions (0-7-1, 0-2-1 SSC) stayed close throughout the match despite being out-shot 17-5 overall, including a 14-3 bulge in the second half. The #14 Buffs held an 8-2 edge in shots-on-goal. Freshman Stuart Ziegler (West Plains 2008) had a team-high two shots for the Lions. Clevenger (College Heights 2006) started and Nate Evans (Cassville 2007) came on as a sub.

Coester’s is a family friendly, non-smoking restaurant located just West of the Missouri State campus. With Sentanta, Fox Soccer Channel, Gol and Direct Kick, you can enjoy the world’s game on one of the 22 high definition monitors that cover every wall. Be certain to let them know you appreciate their sponsorship of this website, and the game of soccer!

Coester’s Regional College Soccer Report

Missouri State Bears vs Valparaiso Crusaders Missouri State Bears - 1 (2 OT)
Valparaiso Crusaders – 1
The Bears opened strong Friday evening, coming off of their Tournament win at New Mexico last week. Attacking with verve, they wasted no time exploiting the first opportunity to present itself. Kyle Windmueller, the man the MSU Standard calls the “go-to guy” did just that, beating his defender on the left side. His run into the box created space that midfielder Ryan Hennessey filled, receiving the square ball near the spot before slotting his shot just inside the far post in the 11th minute. The Bears kept up the attack, earning a 6-3 advantage in shots in the half.

The second half provided a mirror image of the first, with the Crusaders creating more opportunities, and beating the Bears with a goal in the 87th minute. It was scored by senior Paul Leitelt from 20 yards out as he found space of his own to hammer a shot to the far side netting. It might have been worse but the Bears were fortunate that Brandon Durk was prepared in the 75th minute, as he intercepted a crossing pass at the far post that he knocked down and goal keeper Alex Riggs quickly collected.

Two overtime periods with one near miss for the Bears as a set piece skipped just beyond Thomas Vania’s reach in the six yard box. Tonight marked the return of Springfield Demize player Isreal Bisoni (pictured, underneath MSU’s Justin Alford) who joined the Crusaders from Coffeyville CC, along with his teammate Rodolfo Lucas. Bisoni came on midway through the 1st half and played the majority of the game this evening at forward.

Missouri State Bears – 7
Nicholls State – 0
The Missouri State women’s soccer team dominated Nicholls State in a 7-0 shutout victory on Friday night in the first match of the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, AR. Tara Bailes (Catholic 2008) came on as a substitute while scoring 1 goal and providing an assist as well.
Drury Panthers Logo
Drury Panthers
– 4
Kentucky Wesleyan – 0
Drury broke open a tight contest with three second-half goals and cruised to a 4-0 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan in a Great Lakes Valley Conference match Friday. Katy McLain (Kickapoo 2008) came on as a substitute in the game for the Lady Panthers.

Drury Panthers
– 5
Kentucky Wesleyan – 1
The Drury University soccer Panthers kept their unbeaten start intact, defeating Kentucky Wesleyan 5-1 in a Great Lakes Valley Conference match Friday afternoon. The Panthers, now 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the GLVC, received two goals from senior forward Marco Cherisma – pushing his season total to five – and single goals from juniors Steve Wilczewski (Glendale 2006) and Andrew Bordelon and sophomore Micah Whorton. Kyler Temple (Kickapoo 2008), Adam Peterson (Kickapoo 2007), Alex Palmer (Kickapoo 2007) and Danny Collins (Glendale 2007) all came on as substitutes in the game. Wilczewski, Drury’s leading scorer, was also interviewed by the Drury Mirror recently. Key take away?

Q: What is the better rivalry; Yankee’s/ Redsox’s or Glendale/Kickapoo?
A: I would have to say Glendale/Kickapoo, even though it’s a Glendale dominated rivalry.

Missouri Southern LionsMissouri Southern Lions – 0
Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds – 0
The game finished in a 0-0, scoreless tie that was halted in the 80th minute due to darkness. Nate Evans (Cassville 2007) joined Stuart Ziegler (West Plains 2008) and Jesse Clevenger (College Heights 2006) in the starting lineup.

Missouri Southern Lions – 0
Northwest Missouri Bearcats – 1
Amanda Deml scored the only goal of the match on a free kick from 20 yards out to lead the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats to a 1-0 win over the Missouri Southern Lions in MIAA action Thursday afternoon. Joplin Eagle 2008 graduates Randi Russell and Lindsay Altman both got their first starts of the season, with Brianna McKenzie (Webb City 2008) and Brianna Ragains (Lebanon 2008) coming on as substitutes. Rusell went the entire 90 minutes, with 2 saves.

Miners Logo headMissouri S&T Miners – 2
Bellarmine Knights – 2
After falling behind by two goals at the half, the Miners came back after the break and claimed a 2-2 tie against their GLVC opponent. Andy Held scored with 46 seconds to play in regulation time to send the game into overtime. Zack Hay (Kickapoo 2008) and Brandon Moore (Rolla 2005) both started.

Missouri S&T Miners – 0
Bellarmine Knights – 2
The Miner’s gave up a pair of goals in the first half before mounting a comeback attempt in the second half. The Miners had 12 shots, 4 on goal, compared to Bellarmine five shots in the second frame.

Coester’s is a family friendly, non-smoking, restaurant located just West of the Missouri State campus. With Sentanta, Fox Soccer Channel, Gol and Direct Kick, you can enjoy the world’s game on one of the 22 high definition monitors that cover every wall. Be certain to let them know you appreciate their sponsorship of this website, and the game of soccer!

Sunday Ozarks Regional College Report

Missouri Southern LionsMissouri Southern Lions – 1
Texas Woman’s – 2
Theresa Sanches scored the tie-breaking goal on a penalty kick in the 57th minute to propel the Texas Woman’s Pioneers to the win. The score came just seven minutes after the Lions (2-1) evened the match on a Sarah Evers goal from 10 yards out. Brianna McKenzie (Webb City) earned her 1st start of the season while Lindsay Altman (Joplin) and Brianna Ragains (Lebanon) also saw playing time.

Missouri Southern host MIAA foe, the Central Missouri Mules, on Thursday at 7:00 pm at home. Head coach Trevor Wachsman is two wins shy of reaching 50 for his career (48-35-18 in his sixth season). It would be a nice weekend if they could get wins against the Mules and SBU who visit Saturday.

The Missouri Southern Lion’s men’s squad lost a pair of games this weekend. On Friday, Colorado State – Pueblo beat them 3-1, taking a 2-0 lead before the Lion’s Greg Edmonds scored from an assist by Stuart Ziegler (West Plains). Today’s game against Colorado-Colorado Springs saw the Mountain Lions score just four minutes into the match, adding another tally in the 71st minute for the victory.

Miners Logo headMissouri S&T Miners – 1
Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars – 3
The Prairie Stars were outshot by the Miners 26-9 in the game and had only five shots on goal to the Miners’ 11. However, UIS turned two counterattack plays into goals in the first half and rode the play of NAIA All-American goalkeeper Chance Walker to keep S&T at bay as it tried to rally in the second half. The Miner’s goal was scored by Brandon Moore (Rolla) in the 58th minute, he was joined by Zack Hay (Kickapoo) in the starting lineup.

Missouri S&T Lady Miners – 2 (OT)
Emporia State Hornets – 1
The Lady Miners soccer squad picked up a 2-1 overtime win at Emporia State on Sunday afternoon on Melissa Young’s goal 2:48 into overtime. Young headed a shot inside the right post off a feed from Paige Smothers. The Miner’s win finished ESU’s first ever 2-0 start to season.

On Friday, the Miners lost to Christian Brothers 0-1, the lone goal coming in the 55th minute from a crowd in front of the box. Zack Hay (Kickapoo) once again got the start in the game for S&T.

This Friday, Southern Indiana visits to open the GLVC calendar for the Miners. The women will play at 5:00 and the men at 7:30 pm. Sunday will feature Kentucky Wesleyan with games at 12:00 pm and 2:30 pm. Both

Drury Panthers LogoDrury Panthers – 5
Harding Bison – 1
Drury University’s men’s soccer Panthers spotted Harding an early goal, then rolled to a 5-1 victory over the Bison here on Sunday afternoon. Steve Wilczewski (Glendale) scored two goals, Adam Peterson (Kickapoo) added one along with an assist and Danny Collins (Glendale) assisted on a goal as well. Kyler Temple (Kickapoo) and Alex Palmer (Kickapoo) also saw playing time in a game that also welcomed back Tyson Bramley from injury and Ben Taylor who picked up two assists.

Drury Lady Panthers – 2
Harding Bison – 3
The Lady Panthers fall, after giving up 3 goals in just over 4 minutes. The game winner for the Bison came in the 88th minute, pushing the Panthers to 0-2-1 this season. It is the first win for the Bison, who lost 5-4 in OT to the MSSU Lions, last week. Goals were scored by Mandi Little and Nicole Williams, both in the 2nd half.

The Panthers hit the road Friday for their first GLVC game at UMSL where they’ll take on the Tritons. They’ll return home on Sunday to host Southern Indiana

The Southwest Baptist Bearcats had the weekend off, after seeing their game at Rolla cancelled at halftime. They at Emporia State (KS) Thursday evening and at Missouri Southern Saturday afternoon at noon as they open MIAA play.

bearhead_125.jpg
Missouri State Bears – 0
St Louis University Billikens – 0
The Bills out-shot the Bears 11-6 in the first half, 8-3 in the second stanza and 8-1 in the two overtime periods for an overall 27-10 advantage. Freshman goalkeeper Hannah Perry was forced to make just one save in posting her third consecutive shutout. Missouri State’s Jackie Jasper made nine saves.