Northwest Missouri State sophomore placekicker Parker Sampson has been honored as the MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in Northwest Missouri State’s 62-17 win at Northeastern State.

Sampson (Kansas City, Mo.) booted a career-long 50-yard field goal and accounted for 14 points with two field goals and eight extra points in the win over the RiverHawks. Sampson’s 50-yard field goal gave Northwest a 31-3 lead in the second quarter. His 32-yard field goal capped the scoring for the Bearcats in the third quarter. Sampson kicked off 11 times and had four touchbacks.

Sampson ranks second in the MIAA in scoring with 71 points on the season.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State soccer team played its final game of the season at Lindenwood Sunday and lost 1-0 in double overtime.

After 109 minutes of scoreless soccer Emily Jower scored with 9 seconds left in the game to give Lindenwood their 7th win of the season.

With this win, Lindenwood qualifies for the MIAA tournament. Northwest ends its season 2-15 overall and 1-10 in the MIAA.

— Northwest Athletics —

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma – The No. 11-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcat football team breezed to a 62-17 road victory over the Northeastern State University RiverHawks.

Northwest (8-1 overall) accumulated 568 total yards and 25 first downs. Northeastern State (0-9 overall) was limited to 193 total yards (29 rushing yards) and 10 first downs.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Braden Wright accounted for five touchdowns and 227 yards of total offense. Wright rushed for three scores (6, 6, 48) and tossed two more touchdowns (9, 16) – all in the first half.

The Bearcats scored touchdowns on their first four drives and built a 28-3 lead less than a minute into the second quarter.

Northwest’s scoring onslaught continued in the last 2:45 of the half as the Bearcats scored 17 points on a field goal and two touchdowns to boost the halftime lead to 45-3.

Alec Tatum returned a punt 53 yards with 13:53 left in the third quarter and Northwest held a 52-3 advantage over Northeastern State.

The RiverHawks found the end zone for the first time with 9:17 left in the third quarter when Jay Baker threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Mark Wheeland. The RiverHawks used a short field after an interception to go 32 yards in three plays for the touchdown.

Northwest extended the lead back to 62-10 following a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jadyn Kowalski to LaTroy Harper and a 32-yard field goal from Parker Sampson.

Sampson booted two field goals (50, 32) on the day and kicked off 11 times. Sampson had four touchbacks on kickoffs. The 50-yard field goal was a career-best for Sampson.

The Bearcats had another miscue midway through the fourth when Harper misplayed a punt and the RiverHawks recovered at the 6-yard line. NSU converted the chance into a touchdown on a 6-yard pass from Brice Waggle to Cory Jones with 6:56 left to cap the scoring.

Northwest will return home and take on Fort Hays State next Saturday at 1:35 p.m. at Bearcat Stadium.

NOTES: Anthony Lane and Matt Connelly tied for team-high tackles honors with five each … Austen Eskew registered sacks for the Bearcats … Jacob Giese and Lane each were credited with a fumble recovery … Josh Caldwell rushed for a team-high 96 yards and a touchdown … Caldwell has rushed for 30 career touchdowns as a collegian … Wright passed for 151 yards, while Kowalski threw for 64 yards … Raymond Thomas led the Bearcat receivers with three catches for 61 yards … Shawn Bane Jr. caught his 29th career touchdown reception … Bane nabbed two receptions to move into a tie for No. 7 on Northwest’s all-time receptions list with 196 … Steve Hansely also caught 196 passes for the Bearcats from 1983-1985) … Harper posted 156 all-purpose yards with 71 on kick returns, 54 receiving and 31 on punt returns.

— Northwest Athletics —

MARYVILLE, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat volleyball team rolled to a 3-0 sweep of Southwest Baptist University on senior day at Bearcat Arena. Northwest won by set scores of 25-13, 25-16, 25-16.

Northwest (21-6 overall, 13-3 MIAA) hit .386 for the match while holding SBU (4-25 overall, 0-16 MIAA) to a .080 hitting percentage.

Senior Sofia Schleppenbach registered a team-high 11 kills and a team-best four blocks.

Northwest scored the first seven points in the opening set. Schleppenbach would tally five kills in seven attempts with no errors in the first set to lead Northwest to a 25-13 win.

The Bearcats hit .550 in the second set with 12 kills and one attack error en route to a 25-16 win. Hallie Sidney led the Bearcats with four kills in the second stanza.

Northwest closed out the sweep with a 25-16 triumph in the third. SBU was held to .069 hitting in the third with 11 kills to go against nine errors.

The Bearcats will wrap up the MIAA regular season Friday at Fort Hays State (6 p.m.) and Saturday at Nebraska-Kearney (6 p.m.).

NOTES: Northwest is 19-0 in three-set matches this season … the Bearcats have won seven of their last eight matches … Northwest honored its four seniors (Maddy Bruder, Olivia Nowakowski, Sofia Schleppenbach and Megan Stilmock) prior to the match.

— Northwest Athletics —

MARYVILLE, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State volleyball team reached the 20-win plateau for the 15th time in school history with a 3-0 sweep of the Missouri Southern Lions at Bearcat Arena. Northwest won by set scores of 25-23, 25-14, 25-20.

The Bearcats also set a school record for most MIAA wins in a season with their 12th victory in league play. Northwest is 20-6 overall and 12-3 in MIAA action. Missouri Southern fell to 3-22 overall and 3-12 in MIAA play.

Senior Maddy Bruder collected a match-high 16 kills (.293) in the victory. Bruder added 12 digs for her 14th double-double on the season the 66th of her collegiate career.

Sophomore Hallie Sidney posted a double-double with 10 kills (.250) and 13 digs.

Missouri Southern jumped out early on Northwest in the opening set with a 13-5 advantage. However, the Bearcats battled back and knotted the set at 17-17. The Bearcats would go on to close out the opening set, 25-23. Missouri Southern hit .179, while Northwest hit .235 in the first set.

The Bearcats dominated play in the second by limiting the Lions to five kills and eight errors. Northwest added 12 kills and had a sideout percentage of 73 percent in scoring a 25-14 win.

Northwest moved to 18-0 in three-set matches with a 25-20 triumph in the third set. Northwest tallied 19 kills in the third, while Missouri Southern posted 13 kills. Bruder was credited with seven of her 16 kills in the final set.

Northwest will honor its seniors prior to tomorrow’s match against Southwest Baptist at 3 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northeastern State Riverhawks defeated the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats 2-1 on senior day at Bearcat Pitch Sunday.

The Riverhawks got on the board first with a goal by Mariah Nicolet off an assist by Valeriia Pankratova in the 25th minute. The Bearcats tied it up in the 38th minute on an unassisted goal by Tanith Beal. The go-ahead goal was scored by Valeriia Pankratova in the 60th minute.

The Bearcats next game is at Missouri Western on Friday Oct. 26 at 6 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

ST. CHARLES, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University football team extended its win streak to four in a row with a 38-17 triumph over the Lindenwood Lions on Saturday at Hunter Stadium.

Northwest moved to 7-1 overall, while Lindenwood dropped to 3-5 overall.

Parker Sampson put the Bearcats on the board first with a 37-yard field goal with 10:10 left in the opening quarter.

Josh Caldwell added his 29th career rushing touchdown on an 8-yard run when he carried both a handful of Lions defenders into the end zone with 3:17 left in the first quarter.

Lindenwood trimmed the Northwest lead to 10-7 on a 27-yard run by Nash Sutherlin. Sutherlin took a pitch from Lions quarterback Cody Brister and made it to the end zone along the left sideline. Sutherlin’s score came with 7:08 left in the second quarter.

Northwest’s Shawn Bane Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to set the Bearcats up with a short field. Isaiah Strayhorn cashed in on the field position advantage with a 1-yard score on a 4th-and-goal with 2:32 left in the half.

Bearcat defender Jackson Barnes intercepted a tipped pass at the Lindenwood 17-yard line to give Northwest another short field when Braden Wright scored on a 3-yard rushing score. Wright’s score gave Northwest a 24-7 lead at the half.

The Bearcats took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 56 yards in six plays for their fourth rushing touchdown of the game. Strayhorn scored his second rushing score from the one-yard line to give Northwest a 31-7 lead with 12:56 left in the third quarter.

Lindenwood cut into the Northwest advantage on a 26-yard field goal by kicker Barrett Foley. Foley’s three-pointer with 7:54 left in the third quarter made it 31-10 in favor of the Bearcats.

The Lions took advantage of a Northwest miscue when Wright threw only his third interception of the season. Lindenwood found the end zone on a 26-yard toss from Brister to Paul Silvio. Silvio’s score came with 5:38 left in the third quarter and cut Northwest’s lead to 31-17.

Northwest’s LaTroy Harper popped a 55-yard kick return that set up the Bearcats with a drive starting at Lindenwood’s 16-yard line. The Bearcats cashed in with another red zone score when Wright connected with Marqus Andrews on a 1-yard touchdown pass with 2:57 left in the third quarter. The passing score gave Northwest a 38-17 lead.

Northwest will be on the road again next week at Northeastern State. The Bearcats and Riverhawks will square off in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, on Saturday at 2 p.m.

NOTES: Northwest out-gained Lindenwood, 390-290 … Isaiah Strayhorn rushed for a game-high 64 yards and two touchdowns … Shawn Bane Jr. latched onto five passes for 77 yards … Wright passed for 148 yards and a score, while he rushed for 33 yards and a touchdown … Raymond Thomas carried it six times for 55 yards (9.2 yards/carry) … LaTroy Harper returned two kicks for 72 yards … Jack Richards totaled a game-high 13 tackles … Northwest tallied 12 tackles-for-loss and five quarterback sacks … Wright has scored eight rushing touchdowns this season to rank No. 2 in the nation among freshmen … Northwest was a perfect 4-for-4 in red zone opportunities in the first half.

— Northwest Athletics —

WARRENSBURG, Missouri – The No. 17-ranked Central Missouri Jennies secured a 3-1 win over the visiting Northwest Missouri State Bearcat volleyball squad. The Jennies won by set scores of 20-25, 25-23, 25-16, 26-24.

Northwest senior Sofia Schleppenbach collected a season-high 16 kills and hit .371. Sophomore Maddy Ahrens earned her 13th double-double on the season with 43 assists and 14 digs. Senior Olivia Nowakowski totaled a team-best 17 digs.

The Bearcats won the opening set by hitting .359 with 17 kills and three errors. The Bearcats were able to side out at a 75-percent clip in the first set. The set was tied, 10-10, before Northwest used a 4-1 spurt to take a lead it would not relinquish.

In the second set, UCM jumped out to a 9-3 lead. However, Northwest rallied and knotted at 15-15. UCM seized momentum late by turning a 19-19 tie into a 24-21 lead for the Jennies. UCM would win the set, 25-23.

Northwest committed seven errors and hit .031 in the third set, while UCM had 15 kills and three errors for a .364 attack percentage. The Jennies took the third, 25-16.

The fourth set featured 13 ties and four lead changes along with a late rally from Northwest, but UCM secured the victory with a 27-25 triumph.

The Bearcats will return home to Maryville for two matches next weekend in Bearcat Arena. Northwest will match up against Missouri Southern (Fri., 6 p.m.) and against Southwest Baptist (Sat., 3 p.m.).

— Northwest Athletics —

ST. CHARLES, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team ran its win streak to five in a row with 3-0 sweep over the Lindenwood Lions on Friday. Northwest won by set scores of 25-18, 25-20, 25-19.

Northwest (19-5 overall, 11-2 MIAA) moved to 6-0 in road MIAA matches with the three-set victory. Lindenwood fell to 12-11 overall and 4-9 in league play.

The Bearcats got a season-high in kills from sophomore Morgan Lewis and a double-double from sophomore setter Maddy Ahrens. Lewis posted 11 kills (.588 hitting percentage), while Ahrens notched 37 assists and 12 digs.

Senior Maddy Bruder recorded a match-high 16 kills.

Northwest hit .319 in the match, while holding Lindenwood to a .163 attack percentage.

Northwest will travel to Warrensburg, Missouri, to take on the No. 17 Central Missouri Jennies Saturday at 3 p.m.

NOTES: Northwest is 17-0 in three-set matches this season … with the Bearcats’s next win it would give them 20 wins on the season – marking only the second 20-win season since 1999 … it would be the 15th 20-win season in program history.

— Northwest Athletics —