Sep. 20—The Missouri Southern soccer team saw a comeback attempt fall short in a 3-2 setback to No. 18 Central Missouri on Sunday at Hal Boden Field in Joplin.
Ella Durocher found the back of the net twice for the Lions, who fell to 1-3-2 on the season.
UCM (5-1-0) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before MSSU got on the scoreboard when Durocher scored off an assist by Elisabeth Pujado to cut the Jennies’ lead in half in the 16th minute.
Central responded in the 23rd minute with a score on a penalty kick that pushed the lead to 3-1 at the half.
Out of the break, Southern trimmed the deficit to one goal again after Durocher rebounded her own shot and scored on the ensuing kid to make it 3-2 in the 58th minute.
The Lions had shots on foal by Emilie Lafrenz, Lainer Waldron, Jori Hays and Pujado from there, but none found the back of the net as the Jennies escaped Joplin with a one-goal victory.
Durocher finished with three shots while Lafrenz and Pujado both recorded their first assist of the season. Mackenzie Sholtz got off three shots as well, and Riley Laver registered five saves.
Southern hits the road to take on Northwest Missouri on Friday in Maryville.