Springfield Standard

Missouri State University's women's soccer team will continue its early season road schedule with a match against Nebraska on August 17 at Barbara Hibner Stadium in Lincoln. The Bears, currently holding a 0-1-0 record, opened their 2025 campaign with a 5-2 loss to Kansas.

In the season opener, forward Maggie O'Keefe scored Missouri State's first goal of the year, assisted by Riley Smith. Abby Hansen added a second goal with help from Reilly Heman. On defense, Kayla Smith played a key role in slowing down Kansas' offense, while goalkeeper Ella Becker recorded four saves.

The team's non-conference schedule features several challenging opponents. A notable highlight is the September 7 home rematch against Iowa, who faced Missouri State in the opening round of last season's NCAA Tournament. Other home games include matches against Kansas City on August 21 and Missouri on August 31. In Conference USA play, the Bears will host Delaware (October 5), Western Kentucky (October 12), Louisiana Tech (October 16), and Sam Houston (October 19).

Last season saw significant individual achievements for Missouri State players. Julia Kristensen was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2024 after leading the team with eight goals and setting a program record with thirteen assists. She also scored the MVC Tournament-clinching goal against Drake and finished among national leaders in total assists and assists per game according to NCAA statistics.

Jane Hansen received MVC Freshman of the Year honors, playing in every game and starting sixteen times for a total of 1,274 minutes on the field.

Maddie Schneiderhahn started twenty games and appeared in twenty-one overall, logging 1,673 minutes as part of the defense and earning All-MVC Third Team recognition.

The coaching staff was recognized as MVC Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding Missouri State to its first-ever MVC regular-season title. The Bears finished as the No. 1 seed and completed a two-year unbeaten streak in conference play over twenty matches since October 23, 2022.