Men's Soccer Falls in Heart Quarterfinals to MidAmerica Nazarene

Olathe, Kan., (Nov. 4, 2025)- The No. 7 seed Missouri Valley College men's soccer team traveled to Olathe, Kan., to play No. 2 seed MidAmerica Nazarene in the quarterfinal round of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Postseason Championship, Tuesday afternoon.  The Vikings got in front early, but fell by a final score of 2-1.

The game started with a chance on goal created by MidAmerica Nazarene quickly after play began, as Senior Goalkeeper Vicente Benitez Delgado (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain) came up with the save.  Missouri Valley countered with its first quality chance less than five minutes later, as the shot from Sophomore Forward Oliver Baladi (Frederikssund, Denmark) was saved by the MNU keeper.  The Vikings continued to pressure the Pioneers, and eventually created another opportunity.  A bad pass by the MidAmerica Nazarene keeper was possessed by Baladi, and his shot from 10-yards out went into goal to put MVC on top, 1-0, with just over 11-minutes off the clock.  The Pioneers came close to tying the contest less than nine minutes later, but Benitez Delgado came up with another save.  Midway through the half, MNU came up with its first goal of the game, and tied the teams at 1-1.  MidAmerica Nazarene continued to hold the better of possession over the next stretch, and eventually scored another goal, at the 30-minute mark, to go on top, 2-1.  The Vikings worked two chances on goal over the next several minutes, but the shots from Senior Forward Taiga Matsumoto (Nara, Japan) and Sophomore Midfielder Bartomeu Trias (Palma de Mallorca, Spain) were both saved.  Missouri Valley went into halftime trailing by one goal.

The Pioneers held the better of possession through the early stretch of the second half.  Missouri Valley was unable to put a shot on goal, and Benitez Delgado made a save with just over 15-minutes remaining in the game.  The Vikings tried to pressure late, but could not create any quality chances.  Missouri Valley's season came to an end with a 2-1 defeat.

Baladi scored his first goal of the season and Benitez Delgado made three saves.  Missouri Valley had 13 shots in the game, and earned three corner kicks.

The season ends for the Vikings with a 7-8-2 record.  MidAmerica Nazarene improves to 12-2-4 and advances to the tournament semifinals, Friday.

Box Score-Click Here

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.