BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The SBU Bearcats showed their potential Thursday night, when MIAA-leading Nebraska-Omaha came to town. The Bearcats were able to play up to their opponent, forcing a scoreless tie throughout most of the match. After UNO did put one up on the board, SBU battled back, and with four minutes left, junior Lindsey Boden struck one through the back of the net to put the game into extra time.

There wasn't a lot of offense for either side in the first half, as both teams only produced four shots each, and neither team earned a single corner kick. The tempo picked up a little after halftime, and SBU seemed to be in control at various times throughout the match. It was in the 72nd minute, however, when it appeared the game may slip out of the Bearcats' hands. The Mavericks' Lindsey Nealon subbed into the game, and about nine minutes later, took a pass from Maggie Olsen and scored to give UNO the 1-0 lead.

SBU would answer back, however, after an Omaha foul, Boden connected off a rebound in the box that would tie the match back up in the 86th minute. The unassisted goal was Boden's third of the season. The Bearcats would turn up the pressure in the two extra periods, controlling the midfield, and outshooting the Mavs, 7-3. At the start of extra time, SBU took the first four shots but none of them could find their target. Boden had a chance in the 98th minute that looked nearly identical to the goal she scored earlier, but the shot sailed just wide. In the 103rd minute, Jen Tenholder took a header off Kelly Isaac's corner kick that got just a bit too high and went over the goal. About four minutes later, UNO's Megan Jensen found herself on a breakaway with just the keeper to beat for the win, but freshman Megan Link was able to come out and deflect the shot just over the bar to save the match.

Although the Bearcats may be in the bottom half of the conference standings, there is now a chance that they can say they had a direct effect on deciding the MIAA champions. With the tie, UNO moves to 12-1-2 in conference play; second-place Truman State's victory over Emporia State improves their record to 13-2-1, giving them the lead at the moment. However, while Truman's regular season has ended, the Mavericks still have one match left, against Central Missouri. A win for UNO would give them the conference title, while a loss would mean Truman would be MIAA champions. 

SBU's record moves to 6-9-3 overall, and 4-9-2 in conference play. The Bearcats have one final match in 2009, at home against Northwest Missouri State, on Saturday, November 7. The six Bearcat seniors will be recognized before the match, which is scheduled for noon.