Wildcats Battle No. 4 Missouri Valley in Season Finale Shootout

BALDWIN CITY - Baker women's soccer finished its season with a fearless performance against one of the NAIA's best, going stride-for-stride with undefeated No. 4 Missouri Valley before falling 5-3 in a spirited matchup on Saturday at Hartley Field.

The Wildcats broke out offensively with three goals against a top-ranked Vikings squad after being held scoreless in their previous three matches, marking their second-highest scoring output against a conference opponent this season.

After the Vikings scored within the first six minutes on a penalty, Baker netted a game-tying goal late in the first half to tie things at 1-1 and send the hosts into halftime with a surge of confidence. The goal came on BU's first and only corner kick of the half as Sidney Claeys played the ball in short before sending in a cross that found Rihanna Blanchard for a header and the first-half equalizer.

It was Blanchard's fourth goal of the season and capped a terrific debut campaign for the multi-sport athlete. The junior from St. Louis, Mo., who is also a member of the Wildcat women's basketball team, finished with four goals and an assist while playing in all but one match this fall.

Missouri Valley scored twice in the first seven minutes of the second half to spoil the Wildcats' halftime momentum and take a quick 3-1 lead.

Baker continued to refuse to fold, clawing back within one less than a minute after MVC's second goal of the half. Senior Darcy Cato capped her career with a highlight-reel strike, a left-footed blast from the corner of the box that brought the 'Cats back into it with most of the second half left to play.

Cato's goal was her fourth of the season, and combined with her assist on Blanchard's score, rounded out a 14-point campaign for the four-year starter. The Kansas City, Mo., native appeared in 70 matches during her Baker career, totaling 14 goals and eight assists since arriving in 2022.

Following the three-goal flurry in the first eight minutes, the half's high scoring carried on when the Vikings restored their two-goal cushion in the 67th minute.

Baker answered once again in the 76th when Brenley Cunningham capitalized on a quick restart from Emeil Bennett following an MVC foul, slotting home her second goal of the season to make it 4-3.

The Vikings tacked on one final blow in the 78th minute to wrap up the high-octane contest, finally putting away a Baker side that battled until the final whistle.

With more in either half than BU had total, Missouri Valley fired off 21 total shots to hold a commanding 21-7 advantage and earned nine corner kicks in the match compared to two from the Wildcats.

Under first-year head coach Sean McAlister, the Wildcats closed the 2025 campaign with a 3-10-4 record and a 2-8-3 mark in Heart action after a strong start that saw them earn results in three of their first four league matches. The Wildcats showed marked improvement on the offensive side, scoring in 11 of their first 12 outings and posting multiple goals nine times throughout the year.

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