This Week: Missouri State will take on top-seeded Drake in a semifinal match of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, Friday, Nov. 3, at 5 p.m. The Bears defeated Illinois State 1-0 on Oct. 29 to advance to the semifinals after losing to them a week earlier 2-1. Missouri State brings a 10-8-2 record and a 2-3-1 mark in the MVC to Omaha. The championship match, if the Bears should advance, will be Sunday, Nov. 5, at 3:05 p.m. and air live on ESPNU.

This Season Against Drake: Missouri State battled Drake in Des Moines, Iowa, in its first regular season Missouri Valley Conference match of the season. The Bulldogs defeated the Bears 2-1 in double overtime after Drake’s Melissa Lewis scored the game-winning goal three minutes into the second overtime. MSU’s Meghan Cassady scored her first goal of the season to put the Bears up 1-0 in the 12th minute. Drake answered back at 49:38 as Melissa Norgren scored the equalizer with a header past Bears’ keeper Jackie Jasper. The Bulldogs outshot the Bears 15-13 and had a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks. Jasper posted seven saves in goal for the Bears and Jenny Schroeder and Erin Jarvis split time between the pipes for the Bulldogs, recording three and six saves, respectively.

This Season Against Evansville: Missouri State triumphed over Evansville 4-3 in double overtime at Plaster Field. With just 2:13 left on the clock in the final overtime period, MSU’s Lauren Heck scored her first goal of the season to earn the Bears the conference win. Bear senior Chelsea Anderson scored the first two goals of the contest and Jenna Laughlin added the third goal in the first half. The Purple Aces’ Mia Tofano scored the first two goals for Evansville and Heidi Grey tied the match up with just 1:41 to play in regulation. The Bears had a 17-13 shot advantage and outcornered the Purple Aces 6-5. Jackie Jasper recorded six saves for MSU and Whitney Raeon tallied seven for Evansville.

This Season Against Creighton: The Bears hosted the Bluejays for their final home game of the season and battled them to a 1-1 tie. The first half of the contest remained scoreless. MSU’s Kate Hercules broke the 0-0 tie in the 68th minute off a free kick from Caroline Rooker. Creighton scored the equalizer three minutes later when Lindsay Vaught made the best of a jumbled play and sent the match into overtime. The Bluejays outshot the Bears 16-13 with four shots to MSU’s two in overtime. Jackie Jasper recorded 11 saves for the Bears and CU’s Kristen Casey had three.

Missouri State at the Valley Tourney: Missouri State is 11-7-3 all-time in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, with one championship in 2000. The Bears have advanced to the semifinals eight out of its 11 years their existence and to the championship match three years (1999, 2000 and 2001). The Bears have not lost a conference tournament game since 2003 but have failed to advance to the semifinals in the last two years as they came up short on penalty kicks to Illinois State in 2004 and Evansville in 2005. The Bears have not faced 2006 tournament opponents Drake and Creighton in postseason play. MSU is 1-3-1 with Evansville in the Valley tournament.

Coach Rob Brewer: Head coach Rob Brewer (Lynchburg College, 77) has led all 11 seasons in Bear women’s soccer history. Overall, Brewer has produced a 106-91-23 (.534) record at Missouri State. He has led MSU to 11 consecutive trips to the MVC Tournament, including three consecutive finals appearances (1999-2001). Brewer was named the Valley Coach of the Year in 1999 when he advanced his team to the championship match for the first time. Brewer has won one Valley championship title in 2000 as the Bears defeated Evansville 1-0.