SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri State women's soccer team (3-4-2) will open Missouri Valley Conference play for the second-consecutive season against the UNI Panthers (5-4-1) on Friday (Sept. 23) before traveling to Western Illinois (1-6-1) for the final non-conference match of the season for the Bears on Sunday (Sept. 25).
 
Match Information:
Missouri State Bears at UNI, 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 23
Missouri State Bears at Western Illinois, 1 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 25
Locations: Waterloo, Iowa | Macomb, Ill.
Sites: Cedar Valley Soccer Complex | John Mackenzie Alumni Field
Live Stats: UNI | WIU
ESPN3: WIU
 
Series History
Missouri State is 18-3 all-time against Missouri Valley Conference foe UNI, with the last meeting between the two programs resulting in a 2-1 win by the Panthers in the opening round of the 2015 MVC Women's Soccer Tournament at Allison South Stadium. During the regular season last year, the Bears topped the Panthers, 2-1, with the game-winning goal coming from Brooke Zimmerman.
 
The Bears have only lost one match to the Leathernecks, holding the 3-1 all-time record against Western Illinois. Last season, Missouri State recorded a 2-0 victory over WIU at home, with Brooke Prondzinski scoring both goals for the Bears.
 
Quick Kicks

• Missouri State is coming off of a four-game homestand heading into this weekend's pair of matches. The Bears posted a record of 3-0-1 during the homestand, improving to 3-4-2 on the season. Friday's match against UNI will be the first conference match-up of the season for MSU while Sunday's match at Western Illinois will be the final non-conference road game of 2016.
• Senior Ashley Tallerine earned Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors, the league office announced Tuesday (Sept. 20). The award is the first-career accolade for Tallerine and the second honor for the Bears this season. The senior aided in MSU's defensive efforts that allowed just a single goal in 26 shots taken between the two opponents. Tallerine was the only defender to log-in full minutes in both matches this weekend for the Bears and has now tallied more than 3,000 minutes on the pitch for Missouri State.
• Junior Brooke Zimmerman tallied the sixth game-winning goal of her career in MSU's 1-0 victory over SEMO this past Sunday, handing the Redhawks just their second loss of the season. She is the fourth Bear in program history to achieve the milestone. Zimmerman is accountable for four of MSU's 10 game-winning goals scored at Allison South Stadium since the facility opened in 2014.
• Missouri State is currently ranked third in the MVC in goals allowed (11) and goals against average (1.27). Only Drake (4 GA, 0.43 GAA) and Illinois State (8 GA, 0.78) sit above the Bears in the two categories. MSU goalkeeper Evan Stamp made eight saves in Sunday's match against SEMO, just one shy of her career-high total. The junior has only allowed two goals in the last four games and has tallied eight or more saves on three occasions this season.

Scouting the Opponents
The UNI Panthers come into Friday's match with an undefeated record at home (4-0) and 5-4-1 record overall. UNI played their first three matches on the road, playing to a double-overtime scoreless draw with North Dakota and dropping matches at North Dakota State (2-0) and South Dakota State (3-0). The Panthers hosted St. Ambrose to end the month of August, taking the match, 4-2, over the Bees. UNI's largest loss of the season came at Arkansas (7-1). The Panthers have won four of their last five matches, including victories over South Dakota (3-0), Midland University (6-1), Kansas State (2-1) and, most recently, Western Illinois (3-0).
 
Missouri State will start a three-game homestand for the Leathernecks who are currently sitting at 1-6-1 on the year. Western Illinois dropped their first match of the season to Indiana State, 3-0, before topping Chicago State, 3-1. The Leathernecks lost three straight matches to Northern Illinois (1-0), Milwaukee (4-0) and Western Michigan (2-0) and then played to a double-overtime draw with North Dakota at home. WIU's two most recent matches have been against MVC opponents Drake (2-0) and UNI (3-0).
 
Follow the Bears
For more information on the Missouri State women's soccer team, visit Facebook (Missouri State Women's Soccer Team), Twitter (MSUBearsWSoccer) or MissouriStateBears.com.