The Missouri State University field hockey team started the 2008 season in a flurry of wins and goals scored, bouncing back from a 2-19 record a season ago. The Bears lost some of their fire power from early in the year to finish the season 6-15 overall and 1-9 in the Mid-American Conference for a fifth-place finish.
The Bears started with a three-game win-streak on the road against Appalachian State, Robert Morris and Saint Louis. The team outscored its opponents 9-5 in three games.
Junior forward Melissa Lantz was awarded with MAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 2 after the first week of play by posting two goals and one assist against Appalachian State, and one goal each against Robert Morris and Saint Louis.
Missouri State's early win streak was snapped by then-No. 20 Indiana in a 5-1 loss in a neutral site game. Of the three nationally ranked teams the Bears faced this season, only one loss was a shutout, at No. 5 Iowa on Oct. 5.
A highlight of the season came in a Sept. 9 home game against NAIA Lindenwood. The Bears posted eight goals on the Lions for their biggest scoring total of the season. Junior Alyssa Hile tallied the only hat trick of the season in the match, while Lantz had two goals and freshman Kristen Pettey and sophomore Jennifer Portell got in on the scoring.
In three contests against in-state teams, the Bears outscored Saint Louis and Lindenwood 14-2. Missouri State swept the season series against SLU with a 3-0 shutout at home on Sept. 23.
The Bears earned their only conference win over Ball State in a 3-2 overtime clash at Plaster Field in the opening week of the conference season. Against MAC opponents, the Bears were only shut out twice in the eight-game losing streak.
The 2008 MAC Tournament was hosted by regular-season champion Kent State in Kent, Ohio. Missouri State's season was ended in the first round after a 7-0 loss to Ohio University.
Two Missouri State players, junior Amanda Miyashita and Lantz, were named to the MAC All-Conference second team. Miyashita moved from the forward position to defense this season. She finished the season with three assists, but every game Miyashita led the Bears' defense, making key plays. Lantz finished the season with a team-high 40 points from 17 goals scored and six assists.
Lantz entered the record books at the end of the season with her last goal scored at home against Kent State to tie Abbey Rolfe at number 15 on the career goals scored list with 23. Lantz scored six total in her first two years with the Bears.
Out of the eight different goal-scorers for the Bears this season, all but one will be returning. Missouri State will only be graduating midfielder Sarah Johnson, defender Sandy Fulkerson, who led the Bears and the MAC with eight defensive saves, and goalkeeper Jessica Schuster.
The Bears placed two players on the 2008 Academic All-MAC Honorable Mention Team, Schuster and Fulkerson.
Head Coach Dawn Callahan finished her 11th season at the helm of the Missouri State program and now holds a 78-136 overall record as the head coach.
