SPRINGFIELD - Sophomore midfielder Kaeli Benedict's penalty kick goal proved to be enough for the Bears, as Missouri State women's soccer took down Kansas City at home Sunday afternoon, 1-0.
 
The goal came early in the game for the Bears (3-4-1), as a foul committed by UMKC (0-6-1) in the 16^th minute within the penalty area resulted in a golden opportunity for MoState.
 
Benedict capitalized on this opportunity for the Bears.
 
"The coaches asked for somebody to step up, and I felt confident I could lead my team on this," Benedict said. "I felt confident in taking the kick and putting it into the back of the net."
 
Benedict's goal is her second of the season, and she is tied with junior forward/midfielder Gracie English for the team lead on the season.
 
While the Bears only needed one goal, the offensive production didn't stop at Benedict. The forward trio of freshman Riley Smith, freshman Joey Fosnow and sophomore Grace O'Keefe resulted in eight shots, with four being on goal.
 
Bears' junior defender Carly Raunig, sophomore midfielder Jenna Anderson and junior goalkeeper Camielle Day all played the full 90 minutes.
 
Junior midfielder Abby Couch was not far off, only seeing the bench for three minutes during the match.
 
Heading into the match, MoState was coming off a tough road loss at Arkansas State, where a late goal by the Red Wolves sent the Bears back to Springfield with a sour taste in their mouth.
 
Bears' head coach Kirk Nelson used this as fuel for his squad entering their final non-conference game.
 
"We talked about it over the last couple of days: showing our heart and showing who we are and what it truly means to be a Bear," Nelson said. "We came out and controlled a lot of the game and had a lot of opportunities, and we got the one that counted. We'll take the win."
 
The Bears begin conference play Sunday, Sept. 18 at 1 p.m. where they'll take on the Aces of Evansville at home.