The women’s soccer team (9-4-4) is tied for the 2nd place ranking in the Missouri Valley Conference with 15 conference points and one game left in the season. This not only marks the best ranking and the most points the Racers have earned since they joined the MVC in 2022, but also promises a chance to host their first-round MVC tournament game at Cutchin Field.
After finishing the 2024-2025 regular season in 10th place and subsequently not being eligible to play in the MVC tournament, the team is looking to add to its four-game winning streak and earn its first 10-win season since the 2019 season.
Racer nation has watched Ballwin, Missouri, native and senior Mary Hardy come alive during the latter half of the season, as she boasted five goals, two of which were game winning, and five assists. The preseason First Team All-MVC selection scored four of the goals and earned two of the assists within the last four matches.
This is the first time since 2019 that a player in the program has earned at least five goals and five assists. Hardy has played over 6,000 minutes of Racer soccer in the last four seasons, and has the most goals of anyone on this season’s team. Her game-winning goal at Valparaiso was the eighth of her career, putting her as fourth in program history.
Just behind Hardy on the stats sheets is sophomore forward Breece Bass, who received the All-MVC All-Freshman honor during the 2024 season and was named to the 2025 Preseason All-MVC Honorable Mention team. The team leader in shots on goals with 23 and total shots with 59, Bass boasts four assists, four goals and two game-winning goals.
Freshman Addison Howell earned her second MVC Freshman of the Week recognition after recording her first collegiate assist. This is the team’s third MVC Freshman of the Week award of the season, after Ava Wilson was honored on Monday, Oct. 20.
The Racers average 16.06 shots per match, which puts them at 41st in the nation, while the team’s impenetrable defense has held opponents to just 11.4 shots per game. Working equally as hard, the offense has made at least 20 shot attempts in six games throughout the season.
The Racers sit one point behind MVC’s No. 1 Drake (8-5-4). Murray State took the first MVC loss of the season in September to Drake, falling 1-0 despite outshooting the Bulldogs 9-7 and 19 total fouls commited by Drake.
The Bulldogs will play No. 3 Southern Illinois on Thursday, Oct. 30 to decide the final regular-season ranking.
Murray State will travel to Terre Haute, Indiana, on Thursday, Oct. 30, to play Indiana, who shares the No. 2 spot with the Racers, in search of hitting a double-digit win record for the 2025 season.