Bears Fall Short at MCCC Tournament

The Bears soccer team traveled to Moberly, Mo. this past week for the Midwest Christian College Conference tournament. The Bears entered the tournament as a third seed after completing the regular season conference schedule with a 4-2 record.

First up was a quarterfinal match-up against the Warriors of Calvary University (Belton, Mo.). In what was a rainy and cold day, the Bears got off to a sluggish start. No goals were scored in the first half as the teams jockeyed. In the second half, the Warriors capitalized on two mistakes and found themselves with a commanding 2-0 lead on the Bears with 34 minutes left. The Bears responded in the next seven minutes to even up the score with goals from senior Charles Brodhead (Haviland, Kans.) and freshman Garrett Zuercher (Newton, Kans.). Both teams continued the deadlock until the end of regulation. Extra time was needed to decide this game. With just two minutes left in the first overtime, the Bears earned a free kick just outside the box. Zuercher, who has already had one free kick goal this year, stepped up and hit a low liner to beat the goalie and end the game.

Friday afternoon saw a date with #2 Manhattan Christian College (Manhattan, Kans.). With both teams coming off of tough wins the day before, and the weather cooperating, this was sure to be an epic match-up. The Bears had early chances, but could not find the net. The Thunder were relentless attacking the goal, but freshman goalie Ryan Adams (Newton, Kans.) was up to the task. After a scoreless first half, the Thunder began to knock on the door and pressure the tired Bears squad. With 1:09 left in regulation, the Thunder broke through and scored. Heartbreak was all that remained for the Bears.

Saturday’s third place game was against the Faith Baptist Bible College (Ankeny, Iowa). The Bears, out of energy and focus, conceded two goals in the first four and a half minutes of the game. Unfortunately, that set the tone for the remainder of the game as the Eagles never looked back. The Bears attempted a comeback with a goal from Brodhead, but allowed another two goals before time expired.

Following the Bears fourth place finish, co-head coach Pilo Miranda-Troup concluded about the tournament weekend, “I loved the heart and effort put forth this week. When we play our best not many teams can beat us. If we continue to grow and learn from this we will be a force to be reckoned with for the rest of the season and future seasons.”

The Bears have one final regular season road trip before preparing for the National Christian College Athletic Association Southwest Regional hosted by Manhattan Christian College Nov. 3-5.