COLUMBIA, MO. - Missouri Baptist University men's lacrosse saw its season come to an end on Saturday afternoon with a 19-7 loss to Columbia College (Mo.) in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Quarterfinals.
Joe Busselman led the Spartans offensively with a team-high two goals, pacing a group that saw five different goal scorers in the contest. Jake Cordes added a goal and an assist, while Caleb Ward, Ryan Metcalf, and Drew Chiodini each found the back of the net. Defensively, MBU goalkeeper Daniel Heinrich recorded 13 saves in the effort while facing a high volume of shots.
The Spartans fell behind early, trailing 3-2 at the end of the first quarter as Columbia capitalized on strong offensive efficiency. Missouri Baptist looked to respond in the second period, generating consistent offensive pressure and firing eight shots, but entered halftime trailing 9-4.
Columbia continued to create separation in the third quarter, putting together a seven-goal stretch that proved to be the difference. The Spartans continued to compete, adding three goals in the second half, but were unable to close the gap as the Cougars maintained control of possession and tempo.
Missouri Baptist finished with 32 total shots and showed balance offensively with contributions across the lineup, but Columbia held advantages in both shots (48-32) and ground balls (40-30).
The loss concludes Missouri Baptist's 2026 campaign with a 5-11 overall (4-5 conference) record and a postseason appearance in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinal round.
Stat Leaders
Goals: Joe Busselman / Caleb Ward (2)
Assists: Izzy Golden (1)
Points: Jake Cordes (2)
Shots: Drew Chiodini / Joe Busselman (7)
Ground balls: Anthony Fillerup (10)
Saves: Daniel Heinrich (13)
