SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri State men's soccer team (3-2-1) will conclude its three-game homestand and open conference play when the Bradley Braves travel to Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 24).
 
Match Information:
Missouri State Bears vs. Bradley Braves, 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 24
Location: Springfield, Mo.
Sites: Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium (1,000)
Live Stats | The Valley On ESPN3
 
Series History
Missouri State is 20-9-4 all-time against Bradley, holding the 10-4-2 series advantage at home. The Bears are 2-3 over the last five seasons and 5-5 over the last 10 meetings. Last season, the Braves dominated the Bears in Peoria, Ill., taking the match, 4-0, at Shea Stadium. Despite the loss, Missouri State fired a season-high 22 shots.
 
Quick Kicks

• The Bears have opened conference play at home since 2009 and this will be the first time since 2012 that Missouri State has faced Bradley in the Valley opener. Bradley comes into the match 0-1 in the MVC after falling to Evansville at home, 2-0.
• The Missouri State men's soccer team has lost just a single game at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium, posting an overall record of 10-1-4 at the home facility. The team's only loss at Allison South Stadium came against Tulsa in 2014, when the Bears fell to the Golden Hurricane, 1-0. The Bears, who opened the 2016 season with a 2-0 victory over Green Bay at home, have tied with Oral Roberts (1-1) and, most recently, conquered UMKC, 1-0.
• When playing at home this season, the Bears have taken more than 10 shots in each match, including 18 against Green Bay and Oral Roberts and 12 shots against UMKC. Conor Ingram, Emmerich Hoegg and Mikey Lightbourne lead the Bears with nine shots apiece. Jake Buckle and Stuart Wilkin have tallied six on the season, while Scott Midgley and Tyler Swanner have each taken five.
• Robbie Oslica scored the fourth goal of the season for the Bears in Tuesday's 1-0 victory over UMKC. Oslica's second-career goal is the first to be scored by an MSU defender this season. The last defender to tally a goal for the Bears was Jake Laird in Missouri State's 2-2 draw at Oral Roberts last season.
• MSU goalkeeper Liam Priestley currently ranks second in the league in goals against average (0.64) and third in save percentage (.765). The junior keeper collected his third shutout of the season in MSU's 1-0 win over UMKC on Tuesday.

 
Scouting the Opponent
The Bradley Braves enter the match with an overall record of 2-5-1. Bradley opened the season at Gonzaga (1-1), before falling to San Diego State (1-0). The Braves won their first match of the season at home against Fairleigh Dickinson (1-0), before dropping their next four matches to No. 16 Utah Valley (1-0), Fort Wayne (4-3), Portland (3-0) and Evansville (2-0). Most recently, Bradley won for the second time at Shea Stadium, topping Western Illinois, 2-0.
 
Follow the Bears
For more information on the Missouri State men's soccer team, visit MissouriStateBears.com or follow the Bears on Twitter (@MSUBearsMSoccer).