BOX SCORE | Buchholz Interview | Cadena & Hayes Interview | Corona's Goal

MANKATO, Minn. – Miranda Cadena recorded her fourth multiple-goal performance of the season by scoring two goals to lift No. 5 seed Southwest Minnesota State to a 3-1 victory over No. 4 seed Central Missouri in the NCAA tournament first round on Friday afternoon. With the win, SMSU advances to play top-seeded Minnesota State in the NCAA semifinal round on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be held at The Pitch in Mankato.

The win is SMSU's first defeat of a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) top 25 ranked opponent and first NCAA tournament win in program history.

The win snapped a four-game winless streak dating back to Oct. 26 versus Concordia-St. Paul.

SMSU jumped on the board first in the 24th minute with Vanesa Corona's fifth goal of the season. Corona hooked a penalty kick just inside the left post and passed Jessica Grindstaff to put SMSU up 1-0. The goal snapped an SMSU scoring drought of 425+ minutes – a span of four games.

SMSU would pad its lead just 11 minutes later when Miranda Cadena got a pass from Sarah Keppler on a breakaway. Cadena shot right and managed to get it past Grindstaff, who came out of the box aggressively to try and stop the breakaway.

The 2-0 lead did not last long as the Jennies responded immediately in the 36th minute with Julie Ireland's 11th goal of the season. The last 14 minutes of the first half was controlled by UCM as SMSU had to fend off some late Jennie charges to keep the 2-1 lead heading into the break.

UCM made a change at goalkeeper in the second in an attempt to slow SMSU's offense as Morgan Hartzler was tasked with manning the Jennie net. The change didn't slow the SMSU offense and Cadena down as the Mustangs came out of the break poised and continued to pressure until the Jennie defense broke. In the 80th minute the final straw was pulled as Cadena beat Hartzler for her second goal of the game off the pass from Kendahl Fisher to give SMSU a 3-1 lead.

SMSU (15-3-2) will have the day off tomorrow before returning to action on Sunday versus Minnesota State. SMSU and MSU tied 0-0 2OT in the last meeting between the two teams on Oct. 27.