ST. LOUIS -- Missouri Baptist Women's Soccer is set to host No. 18 Park University in the AMC Game of the Week. The matchup features high stakes for both teams, as the Spartans will look to take down a top team in the conference and improve to 6-1 in conference play.
The match takes place at 11:00 am at CBC Field and is a Blue Out, so make sure to sport your blue when cheering on the Spartans. Raising Cane's, the official chicken of Missouri Baptist athletics, will also be in attendance and host a halftime penalty kick contest between two lucky fans. The winner will take home a Raising Cane's gift basket.
For more on the big game, read the following story contributed by AMC SID Tim Shay:
ST. LOUIS – The American Midwest Conference (AMC) has expanded its Game of the Week Program, and as a result, the AMC is able to feature more games, with more teams as a part of their primary regular season featured broadcast coverage. This week's women's soccer Game of the Week features two of the top three teams in the AMC standings entering the week, with one who can mathematically clinch a postseason berth with a victory.
The NAIA #18 Park University Pirates (7-2-1, 7-0 AMC) need just three points to lock up a spot in the AMC Championship tournament, and they will head east across the Show Me State in search of those three points on Tuesday morning. The Pirates will battle the Missouri Baptist University Spartans (7-4, 5-1 AMC) who have exceeded expectations to this point on the season, and who are in position to earn a home match in the AMC Championship quarterfinals.
WHO
Park Pirates: The Pirates have 43 goals to their credit, and nearly half of them have come from one player – Emily Key. Key, a 5-4 senior midfielder, was an All-AMC First Team Honoree last season, and she is making a strong case for Player of the Year this year. She is averaging two goals and 4.6 points per match, as she has scored nine more goals than any other player in the AMC. She has also netted an AMC high five game winning goals – one of only seven players in the AMC with multiple game winners this season.
Missouri Baptist Spartans: The Spartans have fared very well this season in low scoring affairs. When MBU has been involved in a match where three goals or less were scored, the Spartans have a 5-2 record with four shutouts – all of which have come in AMC play. They have struggled a bit in higher scoring matches, posting a record of 2-2 with only one shutout. Alexandra Lair figures to be key for the Spartans in goal. Lair is a two-time AMC Defensive Player of the Week so far this season, and she currently ranks second in the AMC with a Goals Against Average of 0.89.
WHAT
Since 1998, the Pirates have held a significant edge in the All-time series over the Spartans. Park has a 14-3 record against Missouri Baptist over that time, including an eight-match winning streak from October 9, 2010 through September 28, 2013. Missouri Baptist, however, has won two of the last three meetings, including the last two played in St. Louis.
WHEN
Tuesday, October 11, 11:00 a.m.
Live Video: Spartan Digital Network (https://www.spartandigitalnetwork.com)
Live Stats: http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Webcasts.aspx?association=10
WHERE
St. Louis, Mo. (CBC Field)
WHY
The Pirates hold the inside track to the AMC Regular Season Championship, and with it an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round, but a win from Missouri Baptist would bring into play the possibility of a three-way tie at the top with Park, MBU, and Columbia. Goal difference would be needed to break that tie, so the match is of critical importance to both sides.
