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SPRINGFIELD - The 2016 Missouri State men's soccer schedule has been completed and includes 17 regular-season matches, announced head coach Jon Leamy on Wednesday, April 27. The Bears will play eight home matches at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium plus two friendlies to begin the year against Northeastern State (Aug. 12) and Missouri S&T (Aug. 19).

This year's schedule features match-ups with two 2015 top-30 RPI teams. The Bears trek to Omaha, Neb. on Aug. 17 for an exhibition match-up with former Missouri Valley Conference member Creighton, who made it to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2015. MSU will close out the month of September in Tulsa, Okla. with a mid-season match-up with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Sep. 27.

The regular season will begin at home when the Bears welcome Wisconsin-Green Bay on Aug. 26. Allison South Stadium will then serve as a neutral site when Central Arkansas comes to town to play the Phoenix two days later.

The Bears begin September on the road at Memphis (Sept. 4) before heading to the N.M. Tournament (Sept. 9-11) in Albuquerque for the second-consecutive year and third time in five years. At this year's tournament, the Bears will go head-to-head with Grand Canyon and Cal Bakersfield, each for the first time in MSU program history.

Missouri State returns home on Sept. 17 for the first leg of a home-and-home with Oral Roberts. MSU will take a break in the conference schedule and make the return trip to ORU to close out non-conference competition on Oct. 25. The three-game home stand will continue for MSU on Sept. 20 with a tilt against in-state opponent UMKC. The Bears lead the series over the Roos 17-4-2, with the two recent meetings resulting in a tie.

On Sept. 24, the Bears kick off Valley competition when the Bradley Braves travel to Springfield. Out of all current programs in the league MSU has had the most meetings with the Braves, holding the series advantage over Bradley, 20-9-4.

Three games will be played over a six-day span beginning on Oct. 5 when Eastern Illinois visits Allison South for the second-consecutive year. MSU has topped the Panthers in four of the last five meetings. Conference play continues for the Bears at SIU Edwardsville (Oct. 11) before returning for MSU homecoming weekend on Oct. 15 when the 2015 MVC Tournament Champion Drake Bulldogs journey to Springfield.

On Oct. 22, MSU embarks on a trip to Chicago, Ill. in a 2015 MVC tournament rematch with Loyola. The Bears dropped their quarterfinal match to the Ramblers in a 1-0 decision.

New this season, each men's soccer program in the MVC will play an institution twice as a part of a home-and-home series. In 2016, the Bears will travel to Evansville on Oct. 1 before the Purple Aces come to town for MSU's senior night on Oct. 29. The Bears will also entertain Central Arkansas (Oct. 8) before closing out the regular season in Conway, Ark. on Nov. 5.

Missouri State will return nine starters in the fall from a 6-6-5 team that finished fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2015. A total of 11 student-athletes collected numerous accolades from the MVC and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) for their hard work on the field and in the classroom.