ST. LOUIS – After standout performances against Drake and Evansville, Missouri State women's soccer's Lexi Palacio was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, announced by the league Monday.
 
Palacio had a stellar week for Missouri State, helping the Bears to a tie at home against Drake and a victory at Evansville. Holding the league-leading Bulldogs scoreless through 110 minutes, Palacio helped snap an eight-match win streak and picked up her second shutout of the season. The freshman recorded a career-high 11 saves, which ties for second in the Valley, and is the most saves recorded in a match by any MSU goalkeeper this season.
 
After picking up four more saves and a win against Evansville, Palacio improves to 2-3-1 on the season and has tallied 39 saves. She sits second in the league with 4.33 saves per game and maintains a .780 save percentage.
 
The Bears return home to Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 26, where they will honor the team's five seniors in Missouri State's "Senior Day" contest against Illinois State. For all the latest information on the Missouri State women's soccer team, visit missouristatebears.com or follow @MSUBearsWSoccer on Twitter.