ST. LOUIS - Missouri Baptist University closed out its home slate in dominant fashion Wednesday night, defeating Clarke University (Iowa) 17–9 while celebrating Senior Night.
Before the game, Missouri Baptist honored six seniors in a pregame ceremony, recognizing their dedication, leadership, and impact on the program. The seniors included Liam Prindable, Ryan Metcalf, Joe Busselman, John Dahl, Drew Chiodini, and Daniel Gardiner. The group has played a pivotal role in shaping the team's culture and competitiveness, leaving a lasting mark both on and off the field. Wednesday's victory served as a fitting tribute, as the Spartans delivered a complete performance in front of the home crowd.
The Spartans (5-10, 4-5) controlled the pace from the opening faceoff, building an early lead and never looking back. Missouri Baptist erupted offensively with 17 goals on 42 shots, 23 of them on goal.
Caleb Ward orchestrated the attack with an impressive nine goals, consistently creating offense off passes and stretching the Clarke defense. Prindable added three goals, while Busselman added two scores of his own. Metcalf and Andrew Dafoe each contributed multiple points combined, helping the Spartans maintain steady offensive pressure throughout all four quarters.
Missouri Baptist's defense also delivered a strong performance, limiting Clarke to nine goals and forcing key turnovers. Goalkeeper Daniel Heinrich anchored the back line with a solid outing, recording 16 saves as the Spartans held the Pride to just 37 total shots.
With the win, Missouri Baptist secured its spot in the Heart of America Athletic Conference postseason tournament. They will take on No. 3 seed Columbia College on Saturday, April 25, for the quarterfinals.
Stat Leaders
Goals: Caleb Ward (9)
Assists: Drew Chiodini (4)
Points: Caleb Ward (10)
Shots: Caleb Ward (12)
Ground balls: Andrew Dafoe (7)
Saves: Daniel Heinrich (16)
