Sycamores lose, go into MVC tourney as sixth seed

The Indiana State women's soccer team played its final game of the regular season Saturday night when it travelled to Springfield, Mo. to face the Missouri State Bears (10-6-1 overall, 3-3 MVC).

A win would have put the Sycamores (3-14-0 overall, 1-5 MVC) in the No. 5 seed, and they would have faced the Creighton Bluejays.

However, the Sycamores were routed by the Bears 4-0, which gives the Sycamores the No. 6 seed in the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Championship.

Right off the bat, the Sycamores were struck with troubles. Less than one minute into the game, freshman goalkeeper Taylor Nelson was taken out by a Missouri State player. Nelson hurt her back, so freshman counterpart Emily Lahay was substituted in to play the remainder of the game.

The Bears came out to play on their senior day, as they scored their first goal in the 26th minute. Junior forward Jenna Laughlin sent a cross to junior Samantha Aguilar, who was standing seven yards out in front of the goal. Aguilar put the cross past Lahay, putting the Bears up 1-0.

Less than eight minutes later, the Bears put another shot past Lahay. This time, freshman Kelsey Finders got a hold of a loose ball in the penalty box and put the ball right past the ISU goaltender.

At halftime, the Sycamores had zero shots on goal, as compared to Missouri State's seven.

The Sycamores could not muster any offense in the second half either, as they only put one shot on the Missouri State goalie.

At the 53- minute mark, junior Jenna Dobkins took a corner kick. Laughlin was on the receiving end, as she headed the ball into the back of the goal, putting the Bears up 3-0.

Freshman Tara Bailes added one more goal to the total, when she converted a penalty kick that was given due to freshman Morgan Wendlandt's foul in the box at the 76-minute mark.

"Everything went wrong today," said senior Alyssa Ramsey.

The Bears outshot the Sycamores 16-3. Only one of those Sycamore shots found the goal.

The Sycamores will next have to face the Drake Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon in Omaha, Neb. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

( Chris Hauger is a sophomore pre-med major. He can be reached at sasspted@isugw.indstate.edu.)