LINCOLN, Neb. – Missouri State women's soccer continued its road campaign Sunday afternoon, earning a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Big Ten opponent Nebraska. In a physical match that tested both grit and composure, the Bears showed resilience on both ends of the pitch.

"Earning a point on the road against a very strong Nebraska side was an extremely tough test for our team," said head coach Kirk Nelson. "We battled for the full 90 minutes, matched their physicality, and created multiple quality chances."

The first half saw both teams trading challenges as referees let the physical play continue uninterrupted. Despite the aggressive pace from Nebraska, the Bears maintained their structure and pushed the tempo offensively.

Macee McKenna drew a penalty midway through the first half, but Nebraska's keeper made a strong save to keep it scoreless after 45 minutes.

On the defensive side, Riley Smith came up with a crucial sliding tackle in the box, denying a dangerous Cornhusker attack while Ella Becker made two key saves to preserve the deadlock.

Missouri State came out strong after halftime, breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute when McKenna lofted a perfectly timed pass over the back line to Rowann Law, who calmly buried her first collegiate goal with a composed left-footed finish into the bottom-right corner to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Nebraska equalized just six minutes later with a well-placed finish from outside the box.

The Bears relied on a resilient and well-organized defensive unit down the stretch, with Ella Becker making six more saves in the second half to bring her total to eight. Backed by Becker's composure in goal and a back line that stood tall under pressure, Missouri State held off a late Nebraska push to earn a hard-fought draw on the road.

"Our team defending and goalkeeping were outstanding and kept us in a great position all game," Nelson added. "I'm excited to get back home and play in front of our fans this Thursday!"

Missouri State returns home next week for its 2025 home opener at Allison South Stadium. The Bears will host Kansas City on Thursday, Aug. 21, with kickoff set for 4:00 p.m. CT. Admission is free at all regular-season games at Allison South Stadium.