SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State women's soccer dropped its first conference match in two years on Sunday afternoon, falling 4-3 to Western Kentucky (7-4-2, 4-0-1 CUSA) at Allison South Stadium. The Bears (5-6-3, 2-1-2 CUSA) saw their 24-match unbeaten conference streak come to an end in an action-packed battle.

Both teams came out firing in a fast-paced opening half that featured five goals. Missouri State struck first in the eighth minute when Julia Kristensen slotted home a left-footed strike off a feed from Lillie Rasmussen. Western Kentucky quickly responded, with Georgia Liapis finding the back of the net in the 19th minute and then again just five minutes later to give the Hilltoppers a 2-1 advantage.

The Bears answered immediately as Reilly Heman equalized less than a minute later with a composed finish inside the box. Missouri State then regained the lead in the 38th minute when Kristensen headed home her second of the day off a corner kick from Addy Rozycki, sending the Bears into halftime with a 3-2 lead.

The second half saw both defenses tighten as chances became harder to find. Western Kentucky broke through in the 75th minute when Lauren Alexander scored the equalizer. The Hilltoppers completed the comeback in the 85th minute as Alyvia Walls scored the decisive goal off a setup from Liapis to secure the 4-3 win.

Missouri State outshot Western Kentucky, 14-8, and held an 8-6 edge in corner kicks, but the visitors capitalized on key moments to take control. Kristensen led the Bears with five shots and two goals, while Heman added three shots and a tally of her own.

"We started off very strong against a physical and direct opponent," said head coach Kirk Nelson. "We felt good coming out of halftime with the lead, but unfortunately, we were not as sharp as we needed to be on defensive set pieces, and that cost us the game. We will regroup, reset, and get ready for our next home match on Thursday."

The Bears continue their homestand next week, hosting Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m., before closing the stretch against Sam Houston on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 1 p.m. at Allison South Stadium. Admission is free for all fans.