Warriors Drop Home Contest to Missouri Baptist

FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University continued Heart of America Athletic Conference action Saturday, welcoming Missouri Baptist to Heedum Field. The Spartans scored early and controlled the game from the opening faceoff, handing the Warriors a 15-1 loss.

Missouri Baptist set the tone just six seconds in, as Anthony Fillerup found the net at the 14:54 mark. The Spartans added to their lead midway through the quarter when Jake Cordes scored with just under eight minutes remaining. Ryan Metcalf pushed the advantage to 3-0 before Caleb Ward capped the period, giving Missouri Baptist a 4-0 lead after one.

The Spartans' offense stayed hot in the second quarter, opening with a goal from Drew Chiodini at 12:48. Joe Busselman followed with back-to-back goals — first unassisted at 10:30, then off a pass from Cordes at 5:40. After the second goal, Midland goalkeeper Sean Erickson suffered an injury and was helped off the field, becoming the third Warrior to exit due to injury. Midland turned to Kellan Powers, who played the final 35:40 in goal. Both teams agreed to a running clock for the remainder of the game to help prevent further injuries. Metcalf added his second goal after play resumed, and Busselman completed a first-half hat trick at the 2:13 mark, giving Missouri Baptist a 9-0 lead at halftime.

Missouri Baptist continued to extend its lead in the third quarter. Chiodini scored at 10:27, followed by a Cordes goal at 9:00. Busselman added two more goals in the period, pushing the Spartans' lead to 13-0 heading into the fourth.

The Spartans added two more early in the final frame, as Liam Prindable scored before Ward netted his second of the game to make it 15-0. Midland avoided the shutout late, as Cameron Teem scored unassisted at the 9:08 mark to make the final 15-1.

Missouri Baptist outshot the Warriors 44-22 and held a 32-23 advantage in ground balls while winning 13 of 20 faceoffs. Erickson recorded eight saves on 15 shots on goal before exiting, while Powers finished with four saves on 12 shots on goal.

Midland (4-6, 2-4 HAAC) will look to bounce back Wednesday when it hosts William Woods (5-7, 4-2 HAAC). Opening faceoff is set for 4 p.m. at Heedum Field.