The second season of Missouri Reign soccer has officially come to a close. While the results may not have been what coach Dakota Acock, his staff and his players were hoping for, there are many positives to build on for next season and beyond.

Last season, the Reign went 1-2-7 in the Heartland Conference, finishing sixth out of seven teams. However, this year they moved to the Midwest Conference Gateway Division and had to make adjustments for the increase in competition. They ended the season 2-0-6 and finished in fourth out of five squads. Not only did the team endure a tougher conference slate, it also played tough exhibition matches as well.

"There is a lot of talent in the Central region in our area, so no matter where we play, we’re gonna have to be at our very best every game that we go out," Acock said. "Our girls knew that there were some really good teams around, and they competed in every game. Some of (the games) didn’t go in our favor, but at the same time, the girls know that they weren’t an easy out and teams had to work and play at their best to beat us."

On June 16, the Reign played an exhibition match against the KC Current division II squad at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. This was their first game in a professional stadium and the stadium is the first to be built specifically for a women's professional team. The Reign started out the match competitive, but ultimately talent won out and the Current dominated them 9-0.

A few weeks later, Missouri also received an incredible opportunity to play against the Japan U18 team. These matches were big challenges for them but Acock was proud of his girls for not playing "scared". These games were beneficial in that they gave them valuable experience and pushed them to "the limit of what (the players) were capable of".

In most of the games this season, the team struggled to find footing in the first half, starting out the games slow and putting themselves in a hole at halftime. However, Acock and his staff seemed to be able to make adjustments during the break which led to a more competitive second half, often dominating that half.

What went well in Season 2

The biggest positive Acock took away from the season was growth. He added that there are some things that they want to fix as a program and have already started on that process for 2026.

"I think that we did a good job of individual growth and players," Acock said. "Every single player that played with us got better this summer and that’s our number one stated goal and it always will be."

Acock is very proud of the way his team overcame adversity throughout the season and how they handled themselves in a "professional manner" no matter the outcome, something that is not easy to do especially as one of the youngest teams in the WPSL.

The WPSL is built up of around 80% college players, however, the Reign are a younger program. With youth brings inexperience, but it also brings much potential.

"It’s what makes coaching this team so exciting," Acock said. "We’re gonna be able to see that youth develop and carry this team to the success that I know that it’ll have over the next few years."

One of the most promising players for the Reign is Amaura Austell. She just graduated from Capital City High School and is attending Evangel University in Springfield in the fall. The Jefferson City native oozes with potential - as evident by her performance in the Reign's final home game of the season, a 2-1 loss to Union KC.

Austell scored the lone goal of the game for the hosts in the 53rd minute. Her speed made life difficult for Union's back line, as she spent multiple minutes on the synthetic turf at R. Marvin Owens Field at Columbia College, which drew many fouls. By doing so, she provided her team with many goal scoring opportunities and set pieces.

Austell spent most of the season on the Reign's Division II team, only receiving playing time on the main squad at the end of the year and in exhibition matches.

The team showed drastic improvements throughout the season, even if it couldn't always find the back of the net. Consistency was a big key for the team this season. It is easier to learn what works and doesn't work if the team is playing at a consistent level, capitalizing in certain situations every time and making mistakes in the same areas game after game. Acock felt this year's team was more coachable.

"I was able to coach a significant amount more and that’s something that I was also really proud of, Acock said. "They wanted to learn, they wanted to make adjustments, they brought ideas to the table themselves, and they would hold each other accountable. We’re building off the foundation that we laid in year one, and we’ve set the standard significantly higher this year." Last year's team lacked a go-to option, but newcomer Holland Hawkins quickly showed she was capable of handling that role.

In her first season in the WPSL, the Drury University forward, and Springfield native, scored two braces this season, at one point having more goals (4) than games played (3). She quickly built a connection with Lindenwood forward Georgia Pardalos, evident by the many goals they found each other on this season.

Acock appreciates everyone who helped this season, from staff members, volunteers and parents.

"This is not possible without everybody’s efforts, and I truly feel grateful and blessed that I’ve been able to be a piece of that," Acock said. "I feel like it’s a win for our community to be able to represent them as well as these ladies have. It’s a humbling experience at times, I couldn't be happier to go through that with all the people that we have around us."

What's to come in Year 3

With another year of experience under their belt, the Reign will look to be even better for next season. There may be some roster turnover, but Acock says fans should expect big changes in other aspects.

"The way that we operate, the way we structure our season, the way that we are involved in the community," Acock said. "I think it’s gonna make our program that much stronger."

To start with, fans can expect a full game day experience. They can expect more merchandise options, including offering replica jerseys. I think we’ll also continue to expand on our event staff, our coaching staff, and the front office of the way that we operate. We’re hoping to continue to add people in the community that love the game of soccer and want to see it grow, not only have this on a semi-professional level, but across all levels of soccer in mid Missouri."

Recruiting players

A great way to build up any program is by finding a balance between youth and experience. The experienced players can show the younger athletes the ropes and take them under their wings, making them become better players. And maybe even the veterans can learn a thing or two from the younger players in the process. Acock believes they need to become more balanced with their recruiting efforts and experience is only part of the equation when it comes to finding veterans.

"It’s more about the person that they are," Acock said. "We are a team where we structure ourselves around more than soccer, we wanna do more in the community, we wanna continue to have nights like the Special Olympics game.

"While we bring in that youth to match, absolutely, we should look for experience, but the experience needs to be something of positivity and (having) accountability, not just someone that’s older. I have a good feeling that the culture and precedent that’s been set by the girls on the team this year will bring in the right type of people that will lead us to more growth."

Acock says his goal is to retain 60-75% of the roster for next season because the more people you can retain, the easier it is to keep the chemistry and atmosphere intact.