(Rolla, Mo.) – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners got just the start it was looking for on Sunday scoring two goals in the first 30 minutes, but a bad 20-minute stretch cost them in a
5-2 loss to Rockhurst on Sunday. Despite the loss the Lady Miners (8-8, 8-6 GLVC) clinched a spot the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament for the second time in the last five years. It also marks the second ever postseason berth in program history.
S&T got the scoring going in the 14
th minute off a corner kick.
Alex McCord (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) took the kick and served a ball near post where
Riley Cronin (Albuquerque, N. M./Sandia Prep) was able to head it in for her first collegiate goal. The Lady Miners weren't done as
Morgan Henry (Camdenton, Mo./Camdenton) scored 15 minutes later to make it 2-0. S&T had some good buildup on the play as
Sammy Minea (Leawood, Kan./Blue Valley North ) received a pass on the endline and played it back to Henry who lofted it over the keeper from 15 yards out for her second goal of the season.
Rockhurst (13-2-2, 10-2-2 GLVC) broke the shutout in the 41
st minute on Maria Merlo's second goal of the season. Merlo took a long a shot and it went through
Kaitlyn Deister (St. Louis, Mo./Visitation Academy)'s hands to cut the lead in half. The Hawks struck again with 0:53 left in the half on Mia Zanaboni's third of the season. Zanaboni redirected a ball from Brandi Van Booven in front of the goal to even the match at the break.
Rockhurst held a 5-3 edge in shots, but each side had two shots on goal.
The Hawks broke the deadlock just 0:29 into the second half on a goal by Taylor Skala. Skala, the leading scorer in the GLVC, shot it in from 12 yards out along the right wing for her 14
th of the season. Skala struck again in the 49
th minute running down a punt from Caitlin Winschel and shooting it in from the left wing for her 15
th of the year.
Rockhurst added a fifth goal in the 61
st minute when Skala played a ball through to Van Booven and she shot it in from 15 yards out.
The Hawks outshot the Lady Miners 12-5 in the second stanza to finish the contest with a 17-8 edge in shots. Rockhurst put 10 shots on goal compared to four for S&T.
The Lady Miners conclude the regular season on Wednesday night traveling to Springfield, Mo., to take on Drury at 5 p.m.