PITTSBURG – The No. 24 Pittsburg State University women's soccer team will finish the regular season on Wednesday (Nov. 5) in Joplin, Mo., against the Missouri Southern State University Lions.
 
MSSU (2-12-3, 0-9-2 MIAA) will host the Gorillas (13-2-2, 8-1-2 MIAA) at Hal Bodon Field with a 6:00 p.m. (CT) scheduled start time. With a Pitt State win and a Washburn loss or tie against Emporia State, the Gorillas will claim the regular season crown in only their second year as a program.
 
Already qualified for the MIAA Tournament, Pittsburg State will host a First Round match at the Gorilla Soccer Pitch on Sunday (Nov. 9) with a time to be announced later in the week.
 
Last week, the Gorillas picked up a pair of road wins over Central Oklahoma (2-0, Oct. 31) and No. 18 Central Missouri (1-0, Nov. 2). For their efforts in back-to-back shutout wins on the road, Jocelyn Kramar repeated as MIAA Goalkeeper of the Week, Ann Boehnlein was named MIAA Defender of the Week and Carrie Cunningham picked up MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week.
  
Listed in Poll 9 of the USC (United Soccer Coaches) Division II Central Region Poll (Nov. 4), Pittsburg State climbed up to third sport in the region and in the National Top-25 Poll was ranked for the first time in program history at No. 24. Listed in the initial NCAA Division II Central Region Rankings (Oct. 29), PSU is joined by MIAA foes Central Missouri (10-4-4), Missouri Western (9-2-6), Northwest Missouri (10-5-1) and Washburn (11-2-4).
 
Picked to finish seventh in the MIAA Preseason Poll, the Gorillas are 13-2-2 overall and 6-1-2 in the MIAA, ranking second in the MIAA standings with 26 points. As a team the Gorillas have scored 35 goals (2.06) and allowed opponents to score 10 goals (0.59). Among MIAA ranks, Pitt State is second in the league for scoring offense and third in opponents goals per game.
 
Among Division II ranks the Gorillas are ninth in corner kicks per game (6.71), 14^th in win-loss percentage (.824), 20^th in shots per game (17.94), 23^rd in shutout percentage (0.588),27^th in Goals Against Average (GAA) (0.588), 36^th in assists (29), 42^nd in goals scored (35) and 50^th in scoring offense (2.06).
 
Kramar in 1454:25 minutes has allowed seven goals for a 0.433 GAA (14^th in DII, 1^st in MIAA) with 39 saves, 10 shutouts (5^th in DII, 1^st in MIAA) and a 13-2-2 record. Cunningham leads the team with five goals, 12 points, 44 shots, 21 shots on goal and three game winning goals. Ella Cazzavillan (4), Danae Hobson (4), Sailor Jensen (4), Mia Hunt (3), Shayla Hunt (3), Livi Jones (3), Dylann Ehegartner (2), Hailey Green (2) and Annie Payne (2) are the other Gorillas with multiple goals scored this season. Abby Hoffman leads the team with five assists and is joined by Cazzavillan (3), Cunningham (2), M. Hunt (2), S. Hunt (2), Jones (2) and Boehnlein (2) as Gorillas with multiple assists provided.
 
Missouri Southern will enter the match with a 2-12-3 overall, 0-9-2 MIAA record to sit bottom of the league table with two points. Last season in the regular season finale for the Gorillas inaugural season, Pitt State claimed a 1-0 win at the Gorilla Soccer Pitch on Nov. 6^th, Avianna Gonzalez scored the game winner in the 35^th minute with Adriana Delgado and former Lion, Dallie Hill picking up assists.
 
This season, MSSU has scored 16 goals (0.94) and allowed opponents to score 43 times (2.53) this season.
 
Bella Smith in 1440 minutes between the sticks has a 2.63 GAA with 42 saves, while recording three shutouts and owns a 1-12-3 record. Talia Sanders and Presley Whitmire lead the team with four goals each with Nathalia Luiz and Daniela Marquez the other Lions to score more than once this season. Sanders (3), Whitmire (2), Chloe Kondracki (2) and Angelina Mendez (2) comprise of the Lions to provide multiple assists this season.