Springfield Standard

Missouri State University's women's soccer team will host the Missouri Tigers at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium in Springfield on August 31. This marks the first time since 1997 that the Tigers will play at Missouri State's home field. Missouri currently leads the all-time series 4-1, with Missouri State's only win coming in 1996 during a match held in Columbia.

The Bears return home after securing two consecutive wins on the road, including a 4-2 victory over SIUE and a 3-0 shutout against SEMO Redhawks. Abby Hansen leads Missouri State offensively, accumulating seven points so far this season with two goals and three assists. She contributed to three of the team's goals in their match against SIUE.

Goalkeeper Ella Becker achieved her first clean sheet of the season and second career shutout during the game against SEMO. In addition, Victoria Spahn made back-to-back penalty saves in the SIUE match to help maintain the team's lead.

The current schedule for Missouri State includes several challenging non-conference games, notably a rematch at home against Iowa on September 7. Last season, Iowa was Missouri State's opponent in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Conference USA has seen different champions each of the past three years: Rice in 2022, New Mexico in 2023, and FIU in 2024.

Julia Kristensen received recognition as Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year for 2024 after leading her team with eight goals and thirteen assists—a single-season program record. Kristensen also moved into second place for career assists at Missouri State with eighteen. She scored the decisive goal to secure an MVC Tournament title against Drake and finished among national leaders for total assists and assists per game according to NCAA statistics.

Jane Hansen earned MVC Freshman of the Year honors last season by playing every game, starting sixteen times, and spending over twelve hundred minutes on the pitch.

Maddie Schneiderhahn was named to the All-MVC Third Team after starting twenty games last season and logging more than sixteen hundred minutes on defense.

The Bears' coaching staff was recognized as MVC Coaching Staff of the Year following their first-ever regular-season conference title and a two-year unbeaten streak in conference play spanning twenty matches since October 23, 2022.