The 2024 Nixa Eagles boys soccer team capped off an impressive regular season with a 14-8 record, marking their 11th consecutive winning season finishing above .500. The last time the Eagles were below that mark was 2013 (9-17).

Coach Evan Palmer and his Eagles kicked off the season in Columbia, Mo. against Hickman and Rock Bridge. The team started slow, dropping their first two games. Columbia Hickman took the first match 1-0. The Eagles struggled to find any offense as they only put one shot on goal. Nixa fell in the next match to Columbia Rock Bridge 3-1 and received its lone goal from junior forward Keagan Pycior.

Nixa gained its first victory of the season against former Central Ozark Conference foe Branson. The Eagles took the match 4-1. Freshman midfielder Spencer Rinne led the way with two goals, and senior forward Jayden Tate and sophomore midfielder Jake Harvey each netted one of their own.

Following Branson, the Eagles were on the road again and traveled to Monett, defeating the Cubs 5-3. Three of Nixa's five goals came from Pycior as he grabbed his first hat trick of the year.

The Eagles were finally on their home pitch for the first time on Sept. 10 but fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Springfield Catholic 1-0 in penalty kicks. The Irish won the PK shootout 7-6. 

It would not take the Eagles long to bounce back in the win column as Nixa hosted Webb City a week later for its senior night. On a night when the captain was honored prior to the game, Tate was the first to find the back of the net in the 3-0 COC win against Webb City. Rinne scored the other two goals for the Eagles.  

Nixa remained hot in conference play with a 2-0 triumph over Republic, marking back-to-back shutouts for goalkeeper Mason Adair.

The Eagles welcomed Chaminade from St.Louis into Eagle Stadium but unfortunately fell 1-0. After the defeat, the Eagles gained two shut-out wins, with victories over Willard (4-0) and Marquette (2-0). 

Nixa headed into the Kickapoo Shootout with a 6-5 record. Coach Palmer's Eagles dropped to .500 after a 2-1 defeat in PKs (3-2) to Lee's Summit West. After the defeat, it started a spark within the Eagles. Nixa went on to win its next six games. The streak began during the Kickapoo Shootout with a 2-1 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas (KS). Tate struck twice in the match. The Eagles concluded the shootout with a five-goal outburst against Francis Howell North, led by another hat-trick performance from Pycior that propelled Nixa to a 5-3 victory.

The Eagles continued this streak through the tail end of conference play. Joplin came to town for a classic "Battle of the Birds" match. It was the hometown Eagles adding another victory to their resume, as Nixa shutout Joplin 3-0 with goals from Pycior, Tate, and senior defender Blake Reynolds. 

Nixa resumed its dominance and outscored their opponents 11-1 in the next three matches, triumphing over Waynesville (2-1), Kickapoo (1-0), and Lebanon (8-0). Keagan Pycior netted his third hat trick of the year in the victory over Lebanon.

The streak ended when the No. 9 state-ranked Glendale defeated Nixa 2-0. 

The Eagles then gained the upper hand against the Springfield Central Bulldogs 5-2. Sophomore newcomer Ryker Pabst was the catalyst behind the victory, netting a brace.

One of the biggest and most anticipated matches of the year rolled around for the Nixa Eagles on Oct. 24 against its long-time rival and one regular season game looming the following week. The Christian County Cup has not left the hands of the Ozark Tigers in almost seven years. The last time Nixa hoisted the Cup was in August 2018. It would be a tiring game for both teams, as it was a stalemate in 100 minutes of play, forcing a PK shootout. The Eages were on the wrong end and fell 1-0 to Ozark.

Nixa traveled to Neosho to cap off their season, seeking to gain momentum heading into postseason. That the Eagles did, shutting out the Wildcats 4-0.

The Eagles finished the regular season with a 14-8 record, marking the program's 11th consecutive year with 10-plus wins, and earned the No. 3 seed in the Class 4 District 5 tournament. Nixa and Branson will square off for round two in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6. All Class 4 District 5 games will be hosted at Kickapoo High School.

Team Stats: 

52 Goals
27 Assists
131 Points
7 Shutouts

Individual Stats: 

Goals:	Assists:	Points:	Shutouts:
Keagan Pycior (16)	Spencer Rinne (10)	Keagan Pycior (35)	Mason Adair (7)
Jayden Tate (12)	Jayden Tate (6)	Jayden Tate (30)
Spencer Rinne (8)	Jake Harvey (3)	Spencer Rinne (26)
	Keagan Pycior (3)