LYNCHBURG, Va. – The magic continues for eighth-seeded Missouri State women's soccer as the Bears advanced to their first-ever Conference USA Championship final with a thrilling 2-1 victory over fourth-seeded Middle Tennessee on Tuesday night at Osborne Stadium. Behind first half strikes from Lillie Rasmussen and Ellie Neath, the Bears improved to 7-8-4 on the year, while the Blue Raiders end their season at 11-6-3.

Missouri State came out firing once again, striking early in the fourth minute. Lillie Rasmussen opened the scoring with a composed finish to the bottom left corner after a pinpoint low cross from Julia Kristensen, sneaking it past the MTSU keeper to make it 1-0.

The Bears' aggressive attack dominated the opening stretch, staying deep in the attacking third and forcing Middle Tennessee onto its heels. Moments later, Reilly Heman whipped a dangerous cross into the box that found Kristensen, but Blue Raider goalkeeper Ella Sellers came up with a fantastic save to keep the margin at one. On the defensive end, Kayla Smith was a force, breaking up multiple attacking runs and denying MTSU any rhythm early.

The Blue Raiders equalized In the 23rd minute when Taijah Fraser capitalized on a defensive mistake by the Bears, and curled a shot into the upper right corner, tying the match 1-1. But the Bears wasted no time regaining control. In the 33^rd minute, freshman standout Ellie Neath delivered her second goal of the tournament and another highlight reel strike, blasting a left-footed rocket from 21 yards out into the top left corner to restore the Bears' lead at 2-1.

Missouri State carried that momentum into the second half, leaning on its defense to seal the win. Riley Smith continued her strong tournament play by disrupting MTSU's buildup, while Kayla Smith made her second goal-saving tackle of the tournament inside the box to preserve the advantage.

Goalkeeper Ella Becker was superb once again, recording four saves, two spectacular saves in the closing minutes. She first denied a one-on-one chance off a set piece before stopping a close-range header with her feet to keep the Blue Raiders out.

The Bears' back line, anchored by Maddie Schneiderhahn and Kayla Smith, stood tall through relentless MTSU pressure to punch Missouri State's ticket to the championship match.

"Every game in this conference has been extremely tough and it only gets multiplied in the tournament," said head coach Kirk Nelson. "Tonight was one of the toughest games for us and it was a constant battle for the full 90 minutes. But our team came through on top with a strong showing on the defensive side, and some brilliant first-half goals to make the difference. This team is coming together at the right time and is ready to compete for the title!"

The eighth-seeded Bears now advance to the Conference USA Championship Final, where they will face the second-seeded Liberty on Friday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. CT in Lynchburg, Va.