Lady ‘Stangs miss play-offs for first time in program history     By Brian Schekerke The end was a fitting one for the Morningside women’s soccer team as they concluded their season with a 7-1 setback this past Saturday. It was a rough season for the Mustangs as they suffered through one of the hardest in recent history. Just two years removed from a National Tournament appearance, the team won just three games this year, including two against Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) opponents. The match-up with Hastings proved to be a non-contest as the host Lady Broncos held a distinct 23-5 shot advantage over the visitors. Goalkeeper Adriane Dougherty had her hands full on defense as she had eight total saves in the game. However, the hosts were just too strong as they had a 3-0 advantage just 40 minutes into the game and took that lead into the half. It took just eight minutes for the Lady Broncos to extend that lead to four over the Lady Mustangs. Freshman Jamie Swotek pulled one back with an unassisted finish at the 66-minute mark. Unfortunately, the Lady Broncos, paced by Jesse Herse, put three more on the scoreboard as the senior put a hat trick through in the last 17 minutes of the game. The Lady Mustangs end their season with a 3-14-1 record overall with a 2-9-1 record in the GPAC. Swotek led team with 19 points after tallying nine goals and seven assists. Senior Karlee Hauptman was next with nine points with four goals and one assist. On the defensive side, Dougherty led the team with 87 saves despite missing seven games after tearing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). With the season over, the Lady Mustangs have plenty of unanswered questions heading into next season but head coach Tom Maxon looks to reload next fall after losing just six players from this year’s squad. With a solid core of younger players, this year of experience looks to be a turning point in returning the program to its proud history. (Nov. 5)       Sports Home