Springfield, Mo. — August 30, 2025
Mission University Men's Soccer opened its 2025 season with an electric home atmosphere at Lake Country Soccer, but the Patriots came up just short in a 2–1 loss to Avila University on Saturday evening.
The match was tightly contested from the start. Avila struck first in the 45th minute when Malcolm Goswell converted a penalty kick to send the visitors into halftime with a 1–0 advantage. Mission answered back midway through the second half when Andrey Smolin capitalized in the 66th minute with an unassisted strike to level the score at 1–1.
With both teams pushing for a winner, the deciding goal came heartbreakingly late. In the 89th minute, Avila's Beck Snowden finished off a feed from River Howard to put the Eagles back in front, sealing the 2–1 result.
Despite the loss, the Patriots showed plenty of promise. Goalkeeper Robert Crosswhite was outstanding, recording nine saves on 11 shots on goal while keeping Mission in the match throughout. Offensively, Mission tallied six total shots, highlighted by efforts from Nevan Lindo, Monthati Molomo, and Daniel Williams, in addition to Smolin's goal.
The contest was physical, featuring six yellow cards split between the two teams, underscoring the intensity of the season opener.
Mission (0–1) will now look to regroup quickly as the Patriots prepare for their next match on Tuesday, September 2, against John Brown University at Allison Sports Town. Kickoff is set for 5:00 PM.
