Southwest Baptist Live Stats  I  Missouri Southern Live Stats

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's soccer team is set to play a pair of road MIAA matchups this weekend. The team will travel to Bolivar, Missouri, to take on Southwest Baptist University (11-3, 8-2 MIAA) at 3 p.m. Oct. 23. The RiverHawks will then head to Joplin, Missouri, to face Missouri Southern State University (5-7-2, 3-6-1 MIAA) at 1 p.m. Oct. 25.

NSU (6-8, 3-6 MIAA) is coming off a 4-2 loss to No. 9-ranked Central Missouri. The RiverHawks held a halftime lead over a Jennies squad that conceded a season-high goals. Freshman forward Melissa Giles (6g-1a=9p) leads Northeastern State in scoring as well as points and has recorded two multigoal games. Sophomore forward Anastasia Robinson (1g-3a=5p) leads the RiverHawks with three assists. Sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Woodruff (6-8) owns a 1.33 goals-against average and a .779 saves percentage. She has recorded four shutouts this season, which improved her school record to 14 career clean sheets. The RiverHawks are looking for their second-straight victory over the Bearcats after earning an overtime triumph in 2013. NSU leads the series over the Lions 6-2-1 since 2000, which includes a 2-0 victory in Tahlequah earlier this year.

WHO ARE THE BEARCATS?
Southwest Baptist University is located in Bolivar, Missouri, and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Bearcats are 11-3 overall this season and second in the MIAA with an 8-2 mark. SBU most recently beat Washburn (4-1) and Emporia State (3-0). Karla Jamison (10g-5a=25p) leads Southwest Baptist with 10 goals. Jamison also leads the MIAA in points and goals. Elin Hammar (4g-7a=15p) is the leader in assists and points. Goalkeeper Cheyenne Forshey owns an 11-3 record to go along with a 1.04 goals-against average and a .794 saves percentage.
 
WHO ARE THE LIONS?
Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin, Missouri, and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Lions are 5-7-2 overall this year and have put up a 3-6-1 mark in MIAA play. Missouri Southern is on a three-match unbeaten streak, earning a pair of 1-0 victories over Emporia State and Washburn, and playing Lindenwood to a scoreless tie. Casey Vitale leads the Lions with five goals. Hannah Bomar, Carly Cecil and Kimmy Hulse have all tallied three assists to lead the team in that category. The top net minder for Missouri Southern is Beth Hammonds who owns a 3-6-2 record. She also has a 1.65 goals-against average and a .790 saves percentage. Bryar Wiley has also seen time in goal and has a 1-1-1 record. She has a 1.22 goals-against average and a .879 saves percentage. Hanna Johnson has also played one game in goal earning a shutout victory over Washburn.
 
WHERE THEY STAND
With just four matches remaining in the regular season, the RiverHawks are in danger of missing the MIAA Championship tournament for the first time since joining the league. A year removed from finishing second in the conference, NSU currently sits in a tie for 10th in the league table with 9 points (3-7 record). The top eight qualify for the postseason tourney at the end of the year. Currently in the field is Central Missouri (10-0, 30 points), Southwest Baptist (8-2, 24 points), Central Oklahoma (6-2-2, 20 points), Fort Hays State (6-2-2, 20 points), Missouri Western State (5-4-1, 16 points), and Lindenwood (4-4-2, 14 points). Emporia State (2-4-4, 10 points), Northwest Missouri State (3-6-1, 10 points) and Missouri Southern State (3-6-1, 10 points) are all tied for seventh, just one point ahead of NSU.
 
WOODRUFF CONTINUES TO IMPROVE SCHOOL RECORD
Sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Woodruff has improved her school record to 14 career clean sheets. Woodruff became the record holder in 2013 when she posted 10 shutouts. This mark was also a new record for shutouts in a single season. Deb Hill previously held both records. Hill, who was the top RiverHawks net minder in 2010 and 2011, had nine career clean sheets including five in 2010, which was the previous single season record. Woodruff has added four shutouts in her sophomore campaign. She has made 49 saves in 10 games.   
 
BURCH WINS WEEKLY MIAA HONOR
Emily Burch was honored as the MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced Oct. 7. The junior defender helped Northeastern State post two shutouts in three matches. She played all 270 minutes and helped shut down all three teams faced. NSU opponents combined for just 23 shots (7.7 per match) and one goal scored. The RiverHawks have conceded just two goals in their last five matches, thanks in large part to the defensive effort of Burch. The Frisco, Texas, native has now won two MIAA weekly honors in her career. She was also named defensive athlete of the week almost exactly one year ago on Oct. 8, 2013. This was the first weekly accolade for NSU this season.
 
WOOTEN NEARING 100 CAREER VICTORIES
Chase Wooten is currently in his fifth season as head coach of the Northeastern State women's soccer program. His record at NSU is 52-27-9, and his .642 winning percentage is the best in school history. His collegiate record as a head coach currently stands at 95-87-16. Wooten has taken the program to new heights since arriving at NSU. He has led the RiverHawks to the four best defensive seasons in school history, including a 2013 team that conceded a program-best 14 goals. The 2010 team allowed just 17 goals, while the other two top defensive units in school history were also under Wooten's watch (2011-12). He has guided Northeastern State to winning seasons in each of his first four years with the program. The previous best prior to Wooten taking over was just two consecutive winning campaigns. The 2013 team broke the school record for most wins (15) and best win percentage (.789) in a single season, while tying the all-time mark for fewest losses in a single campaign (4). The squad boasted four first-team all-region performers and the MIAA Goalkeeper of the Year in Jordan Woodruff.
 
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