JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri Southern State played Ouachita Baptist to a 0-0 tie Friday. Missouri Southern finished with a 19-12 advantage in shots, while both teams put four shots on goal.
MSSU is 1-1-1 overall. Ouachita Baptist is 0-2-1 overall.
Sophie Spoonmore led the Lions with six shots and put two on goal.
Talia Sanders added five shots, including one on goal.
Presley Whitmire recorded four shots.
Bella Smith played all 90 minutes in goal, made four saves and finished with a shutout. With her four saves, Smith moved into second place on the MSSU career saves list.
Southern created more of the first-half chances, putting together 12 shots while holding Ouachita Baptist scoreless through 45 minutes. Earlier,
Talia Sanders and Spoonmore had attempts inside the opening three minutes, and Missouri Southern added five more shots from 9:44 to 17:25, including efforts from
Presley Whitmire,
Mackenzie Poinier, Sanders and Spoonmore. Ouachita Baptist pressed back with a stretch from 22:44 to 31:28, but
Bella Smith saved shots from Olivia Erskine and Reese Brown to keep the half level. The Lions answered with another attacking spell late in the half, as
Alexis Rodriguez and Spoonmore forced saves before a 39:52 corner, and the first half ended scoreless.
MSSU generated the main late push of a scoreless second half, taking five shots from 76:15 to 85:06 and earning a corner at 85:12, with Spoonmore putting an attempt on frame that Dominique Klujian saved. Earlier, the Lions created set-piece chances with corners at 45:46, 61:09, 68:50 and 70:59, and
Sam Ayala added a shot after the 61st-minute corner. Southern also had to absorb Ouachita Baptist pressure in the middle of the half, with
Bella Smith saving shots in the 54th and 67th minutes to keep the match level. The closing minutes included three fouls and a yellow card to Ouachita Baptist at 90:00, and the half ended with the match still 0-0.
