FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University women's soccer team faces its toughest challenge of the year as they host Missouri Valley College on Saturday afternoon. Kick-off for the game, presented by Columbia Orthopaedic Group, is set for 1 p.m.
William Woods (3-3) returns home after traveling to crosstown rival Westminster College on Wednesday night. Jordan McNamara's hat trick sparked the Owls to the 4-2 come-from-behind win over the Lady Blue Jays.
Missouri Valley College (5-1-1) is receiving votes in the most recent NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Lady Vikings were receiving 20 votes, putting them in 31st. MVC is on a five-game winning streak, that has saw them defeat three American Midwest Conference teams on the way. Most recently, the Lady Vikings defeated Hannibal-LaGrange 2-1 last Saturday.
Game Notes
A Hats Off Performance
On Wednesday sophomore Jordan McNamara collected the first hat trick of her career. McNamara accounted for three of the four goals scored by the Owls, and assisted another goal to give her a career-best seven points in one game.
It was the first hat trick of the Owls since Nov. 2, 2012, when Jamie Palermo collected three goals in the AMC Tournament First Round win over Lyon College.
A Nice Bounce Back
The William Woods University women's soccer team avoided its first three-game losing streak since the 2011 season, as they defeated Westminster College 4-2.
The Owls collected three second half goals to overcome a 2-1 deficit, taking the 4-2 win. Rachel Meyer scored the game-winning goal in the 84th minute.
Team Leaders & National Rankings
With her three-goal performance on Wednesday, sophomore Jordan McNamara has now taken the team lead in goals with four. The midfielder also leads the Owls in assists with five.
Her five assists is the 13th-highest total in the NAIA. As a team, WWU ranks 37th in the nation in assists with 13.
Rachel Meyer collected her second game-winning goal on the season. It is the 19th-highest total in the country.
Welcome Back
On Wednesday William Woods saw the return of All-AMC First-Team member Jamie Palermo. The junior has been battling injury all year and only made one appearance in the field prior to Wednesday.
She came through in a big way, as she assisted Jordan McNamara's first goal of the game.
Knowing Your Opponent – Missouri Valley College
The Lady Vikings are coming into Saturday's game on a five-game winning streak. MVC is wrapping up a stretch of playing AMC teams this weekend. Missouri Valley has defeated defending AMC Tournament champions Park University 6-2, Columbia College 3-2, and Hannibal-LaGrange 2-1. All three teams finished in front of William Woods last season. MVC's lone loss came against Grand View on Aug. 25.
Haley Ennis leads the team with four goals. The sophomore collected two goals in the first game of the year against Bellevue University. Ennis hasn't scored a goal in the previous two games.
Andrea Garcia's three assists is tops on the team. The Toledo, Spain scored a goal in her last game against Hannibal-LaGrange. She has collected at least one point in the last five games.
The Lady Vikings have been a high-scoring team this season, as they have collected 17 goals in seven games. The high scoring has enabled Missouri Valley College overcome a defense that has allowed 10 goals this season.
Series History
Missouri Valley College leads the all-time series 13-6-1. The Lady Vikings defeated William Woods 6-1 in Marshall, Mo., last season. Jordan McNamara scored the Owl's lone goal in the 53rd minute.
William Woods has lost six consecutive games in this series. Their last win came on Sept. 10, 2007, as they defeated Missouri Valley College 1-0 in Marshall. Their last win in Fulton came during the first game of the 2006 season, as the Owls won 2-1 in overtime on Aug. 30, 2006.
Get Social With The Owls
In addition to the traditional outlets, fans can keep up with the latest news about William Woods Athletics via our social media channels. Checkout our Facebook page (Facebook.com/WWUOwls) and twitter feed (@WWU_Owls).
Check back with wwuowls.com for a full recap of this and every game during the 2013 season.
