Box Score Kearney, Neb. -- Junior Jordan Foutch headed in goal in the 70th minute to lift Emporia State to a 1-0 win over Nebraska Kearney Sunday afternoon at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.
 
Today was the regular season finale for all MIAA teams. With the victory, the Hornets (7-6-5, 4-5-5; 17 points) secured a spot in next week's eight-team league tournament.
 
UNK (4-12-2, 2-9-1; 13 points) had its postseason hopes dashed when Northeastern State upset Southwest Baptist, 2-1, in 2 OT's. That gave the RiverHawks (8-10, 5-9) 15 points for the conference season and the eighth and final spot in the MIAA's.

"Our record's not great ... but I still believe we had a good season. It was a good year considering all the injuries and everything we had to deal with. The girls never gave up, they never stopped fighting and working hard for each other. They never pointed fingers or even had an argument. They stuck together and kept fighting," UNK head coach John Maessner told the Kearney Hub.
 
Due to injury, UNK was without top offensive threat Montanna Hosterman (Papillion). Despite the setback, the Lopers outshot the Hornets, 5-4, in the first half. However, keeper Yadira Rivera, now with 106 saves on the season, didn't let anything get by her.
 
In a physical game, Emporia had six of the eight shots after the break. With 20 minutes left in regulation, Foutch was near the Kearney box and guarded by a Loper.
 
Teammate Ally Taylor sent a pass towards her that bounced on the ground. Foutch, a Millard South graduate, managed to get her head on the ball as it came down and it then found the corner of the Loper goal.
 
UNK tried to come back but was a woman down for the last 10 minutes due to a red card. Overall, Arizona junior Meaghan Pasbrig took three shots, two on goal, with Kearney junior Nicole Potthoff and Hastings freshman Marika Van Brocklin each having one.

"It just wasn't meant to be this year with everything that happened," Maessner said, citing nine season-ending injuries.
 
In her final collegiate game, Holdrege senior Lauren Hoeft had UNK's other two shots. The other graduating seniors are Delanie Phillips (Millard West), Jillian Stoumbaugh (Westminster, Colo.) and Kaitlyn Taylor (Millard West).
 
Hoeft ends with the second most career minutes (5,979) and starts by a position player (68) in UNK's six-year history.