PITTSBURG - The Pittsburg State University women's soccer team is set to continue their road swing with a pair of matches in Missouri against team with Bearcats as mascots.

Wednesday (Sept. 9) the Gorillas will travel to Bolivar, Mo., to take on Southwest Baptist at 4:00 p.m. (CT) at the SBU Soccer Field. Saturday (Sept. 12) Pitt State will play Northwest Missouri in a non conference match up at 11:00 a.m. at the Bearcat Pitch.

Coming off back-to-back 1-0 wins against Quincy (Sept. 2) and Southern Nazarene (Sept. 5) the Gorillas are off to a 4-0 start to the season. Picked to finish second in the MIAA Preseason Poll, Pitt State is one of 19 teams in Division II that have not either tied or lost a match so far this season. 

Leading the offense with four goals (three game winners) is Ryann Caruth. Caruth thus far has fired off seven shots with five being shots on goal for a .714 SOG% and .571 SH%. Avianna Gonzalez is the lone member of the team with multiple goals and assists with two each. Carrie Cunningham (2 G, 1 A), Sammie Edwards (1 G, 2 A), Danae Hobson (1 G, 2 A), Abby Hoffman (1 G, 1 A), Sarah Peyton Webb (3 A), Shayle Hunt (1 G), Kaiao Zoller (1 G), Ella Cazzavillan (1 A), Rose Harden (1 A), Mia Hunt (1 A) and Livi Jones (1 A) have also contributed to goal scoring efforts. Jocelyn Kramar (298:40) and Sabrina Schilt (61:20) have split time in goal with the duo being credited with a combined shutout in the first two matches of the season and Kramar claiming shutouts last weekend.

As a team, the Gorillas have scored 13 goals (3.25) from 86 shots, 39 being shots on goal (.453) while holding opponents off the scoreboard in the opening 360 minutes of action with 23 shots, 11 being shots on goal (.478).

Last season, Pittsburg State claimed a 5-1 win over SBU (Sept. 10) in Pittsburg with Sailor Jensen scoring twice (brace), joined by Annie Payne, Dylann Ehegartner and Mia Hunt scoring as well.

Southwest Baptist is 2-1-1 on the season with a 5-0 win over the University of Ozarks (Aug. 27), 1-1 tie against Newman (Aug. 29), 3-0 win over Hendrix College (Sept. 1) and 1-4 loss against Missouri - St. Louis (Sept. 5) at home.

Juana Fernandez Calvo leads the team in points with six from two goals and two assists while firing off a team-high 12 shots, eight of which have been shots on goal. Lydia Fickle (2 G, 1 A) and Ellie Steel (2 G) are joined by Alyssa Broecklin, Caroline Kieffner, Emma Meier and Addi Shuler as goal scorers. Jade Johnson is tied for the team lead with a pair of assists. Cece Alexander (302:21) leads the team with a 1.49 GAA with eight saves (.615).

In two prior meetings, the Gorillas have claimed 1-0 wins against NWMSU. In Pittsburg (Oct. 26, 2025) Cunningham scored the game winner in the 68th minute with Hoffman picking up the assist. In Maryville (Oct. 27, 2024) the Gorillas picked up the win from a Jensen goal from a McKenna Robinson corner kick in the 56th minute to claim the match.

Northwest Missouri enters the week at 0-3-1 on the season, with the lone tie of the season coming against Maryville University (Sept. 3), 1-1 at home. Defeats have been 1-0 against Northern State (Aug. 28), 1-2 against Bemidji State (Aug. 30) and 1-0 against Augustana (S.D.) (Sept. 6) on the road.

Ximena Arnau and Lillie Shaw are the two Bearcats that have scored so far this season with neither goal being assisted. Shaw leads the team with seven shots, six of which have been shots on goal. Leyah Scott (225:00) and Taryn Lewis (135:00) have split time in goal with Scott starting the last match against AU. Scott has a 1.20 GAA with 16 saves (.842) while Lewis has a 1.33 GAA and seven saves (.778).