No. 9 Men's Soccer Falls Late to Columbia in Season Opener

Marshall, Mo., (Aug. 26, 2025)- The No. 9 Missouri Valley College men's soccer team opened its season with a non-conference home game against Columbia (Mo.), Tuesday evening inside Volney C. Ashford Stadium.  The Vikings had a second half lead, but fell on two late goals, 2-1.

Play in the first half started with Columbia having the better of possession, forcing Senior Goalkeeper Vicente Benitez Delgado (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain) into a save less than five minutes into the contest.  Missouri Valley answered back just over one minute later with its first attempt on goal, as the shot from Senior Midfielder Julius Kruger (Berlin, Germany) was saved.  The two teams traded possession over the next stretch of play.  Eventually, Missouri Valley worked possession into the CU penalty box, and the Cougars committed a foul to give the Vikings a penalty kick.  Senior Forward Shiko Kiyomiya (Tokyo, Japan) stepped up for the attempt near the 27-minute mark, but his shot was saved to keep the teams scoreless.  The next quality chance for either team came nearly eight minutes later, as a Columbia shot was saved by Benitez Delgado, and the teams went into halftime tied at 0-0.

The Vikings opened the second half with the better of possession, as Kiyomiya forced the CU keeper into a save less than one minute after the restart.  Missouri Valley got off a total of five shots in the first two minutes.  The pressure eventually led to the first goal of the game, as Sophomore Midfielder Yannick Muller (Dietmannsried, Germany) set up Senior Defender Jacob Adams (Nottingham, England) with a header that beat the keeper and went into the net to make it a 1-0 score line with just over six minutes played.  Columbia responded with its first shot on goal five minutes later, which was saved by Benitez Delgado.  The two teams traded possession, and Benitez Delgado saved a chance for CU near the 75-minute mark, then kept a header out of goal just over three minutes later.  The Cougars had two more late opportunities.  The first was saved by Benitez Delgado, but a second chance got through the defense and into goal to put MVC in a 2-1 deficit with just over three minutes remaining in the game.  Missouri Valley had one more shot on goal to tie the game, from Senior Forward Taigo Matsumoto (Nara, Japan), but the shot was saved off the goal line, and the Vikings fell, 2-1.

Adams scored one goal and Muller added one assist.  Benitez Delgado made seven saves in goal.  Missouri Valley got off 14 shots in the contest, and earned five corner kicks.

The loss drops Missouri Valley to 0-1 on the season, while Columbia improves to 2-0.

Up next, the Viking men's soccer team will play a pair of games over the Labor Day Weekend holiday in Baldwin City, Kan.  The first game is Saturday at 6:30 p.m., against Rocky Mountain (Mont.), followed by a game Monday at 12 p.m., against Morningside (Iowa).

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About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.