SPRINGFIELD – Junior Maddie Augustine's game-winning goal in the 81st minute gave Missouri State a 2-1 win over Oral Roberts as the Bears improved to 2-2-1 overall Thursday night at Allison South Stadium. 
 
Senior Sierra Fury assisted Augustine with a lofted pass that brought out ORU keeper Louisa Ramsauer who got a piece of the pass before Augustine reacted by heading the ball past Ramsauer and into the open net for her first goal of the season. 
 
"The girls showed some fight today by coming out and getting that game-winner," head coach Rob Brewer stated. "It was not pretty, but we went in and got the job done in the box by being physical and getting to the ball. Maddie Augustine did a great job at that which led to her goal."
 
With the win, Missouri State is 2-0 at home for the first time since 2014 when the Bears recorded wins over Creighton and Drury to open the season.
 
Offensive opportunities were hard to come by in the first half as both teams combined for just 11 shots, with Missouri State putting the only two shots on goal. Missouri State was held scoreless in the first half for the first time this season as both teams entered the locker room with the score knotted up at 0-0.
 
The Bears' offensive attack got going quickly in the second half as Kennady Orlick scored her second goal of the season in the 48th minute with Fury and Anna Durnin on the assists. Orlick became the second Bear this season to score in consecutive matches, joining Kate Schroeder who achieved the feat on Aug. 22 and 26. With her assists, Fury was the first Missouri State player to have two assists in a match since Schroeder did so in a 5-1 win over Tulsa on Sept. 13, 2019.
 
"At halftime, we took a step back and realized we needed to step up our intensity and get the ball in the back of the net," Orlick reflected. "Overall, it was a gritty performance and it was great to come out with a win, but there are some things that we need to improve on going into the match with Louisiana Tech on Sunday."
  
Oral Roberts (2-2-1) got on the scoreboard in the 59th minute as the Golden Eagles' Kennedy Langbartels netted her second goal of the season off a pass from Pamela Caballeros.
 
Both teams finished the match tied in shots (12) and shots on goal (6). Missouri State keeper Katherine Montgomery made five saves while allowing one goal on the day while the Golden Eagles' Ramsauer, made four saves and allowed two goals.
  
Seventeen Bears saw action throughout the match, highlighted by Kyli Jackson, Isabel Burke, Fury, and Montgomery who all played the full 90 minutes. 
 
The win now brings the Bears' all-time home record to 134-69-22 (.644). 
  
Missouri State closes out its home stand with a 1 p.m. (CT) match against Louisiana Tech on Sunday, Sept. 5. Admission is free to all matches at Allison South Stadium this season.