HAYS, Kan. – The Missouri Western soccer team had its record breaking 2016 season come to an end Wednesday night in the longest game in program history.

The team lost in a shootout at No. 2-seeded Fort Hays State, 5-3, in the first round of the MIAA Tournament. The seventh seeded Griffons held the MIAA regular season co-champions scoreless through the first 110 minutes. Bridget Blessie tied the shootout 1-1 then Cassidy Menke kept it even at 2-2. Ashlyn Powers’ try was saved, leaving Fort Hays State with a 3-2 advantage. The Tigers scored on their next kick before Maddy Cowell drove her kick into the top right corner to make it a 4-3 Fort Hays State advantage. The deciding kick went off the fingertips of a diving Lexie Martin and just inside the left post to end the Griffons’ season.

For the game, Fort Hays State took just a 12-10 advantage on shots with the Griffons taking five shots on goal to Fort Hays State’s four. Missouri Western had seven corner kicks to Fort Hays State’s four as well. Martin was credited with four saves and ended the season with a 6-2-1 record.

Missouri Western set a new program record with 11 wins in a season (11-7-1) and finished higher than any previous Griffon Soccer team in the MIAA standings (t5th). The season also saw Cassidy Menke break the season record for goals (9) and become the program’s first, first team All-MIAA selection.

— MWSU Athletics —