JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri Southern soccer lost to Texas Dallas 2-0 on Sunday afternoon at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
MSSU notched 13 shots, including four on goal, while facing 18 shots and making six saves.
Missouri Southern is now 1-2-1 overall in 2026. Texas-Dallas has a 4-0-0 overall mark.
Goalkeeper
Bella Smith finished with six saves over 90 minutes in net. She has now 300 career saves as a Lion
Presley Whitmire led MSSU with three shots and put two on goal.
Talia Sanders and
Sophie Spoonmore each added two shots.
The Lions created several first-half chances but went to halftime trailing 2-0 after UT Dallas scored in the 31st and 43rd minutes.
Earlier,
Mackenzie Poinier put a shot high in the fifth minute, and Whitmire forced saves from Melyna Martinez in the ninth and 13th minutes as Southern generated early pressure.
The Lions also kept the match scoreless through a Comets stretch that included a team save in the 10th minute, a corner kick and multiple off-target shots. UT Dallas broke through at 30:55 on Emma Best's goal from Maya Walker, then added another at 42:14 from Kyleigh D'Spain after Smith had made two saves in the closing stages of the half.
Missouri Southern held Texas-Dallas scoreless in the second half, with Smith making four saves as the match finished 2-0.
Earlier, Spoonmore took the first Lions shot 18 seconds after halftime, and the home side played through a physical stretch that included four fouls and a MSSU yellow card before the 54th minute.
MSSU answered a run of UT Dallas attempts with pressure of its own, getting a
Sam Ayala shot on goal, another Spoonmore attempt, a corner kick and a White shot between 55:35 and 60:02.
Smith added saves in the 59th, 63rd and 80th minutes, and Southern pushed again late with an 84:11 corner followed by shots from Sanders and Whitmire before UT Dallas closed out the 2-0 result.
MSSU next heads to Northeastern State University for a road matchup on Sunday, Sept. 13. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., CT in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Fall MSSU tickets are currently on sale
online. Fans can also purchase an
MIAA Network subscription to support Missouri Southern Athletics and catch all the Lions action this 2026-27 season.
