Mustangs Fall on the Road to Missouri Valley

MARSHALL, Mo. - Mount Mercy fell 2-1 to Missouri Valley on Friday night in a tightly contested Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup.

After a scoreless first half, the Mustangs conceded in the 63rd minute when Missouri Valley's Shosei Watanabe converted off an assist from Oliver Baladi. The Vikings extended their lead in the 81st minute as Taiga Matsumoto finished a pass from Alexander Ulmen to make it 2-0.

Mount Mercy's late push brought life in the final minutes. Senior forward Danilo Obradovic converted a penalty kick in the 88th minute to cut the deficit in half, but the Mustangs were unable to find an equalizer before full time. Obradovic led Mount Mercy with one shot on goal, while Chris Difficile and Pablo Ortega Herreros added attempts in the second half.

Goalkeeper Alejandro Cuende recorded four saves, including a key stop on a penalty kick in the 84th minute to keep the Mustangs within reach. Mount Mercy managed three total shots compared to Missouri Valley's 13 and did not earn a corner kick on the night.

The Mustangs will close the regular season on the road, with a matchup next Saturday at Park.