SPRINGFIELD – No. 17 Missouri State men's soccer (8-0-0) returns to Missouri Valley Conference play with a road match against Evansville (2-5-1) on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 5:00 p.m. in Evansville, Ind.
 

#17 Missouri State at Evansville
Dates	Saturday, Oct. 5 | 5:00 p.m.
Location	Evansville, Ind.
Site	Arad McCutchan Stadium
Follow Along	Live Stats
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Match Details
Kickoff from Arad McCutchan Stadium in Evansville, Ind. is set for 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.  Live stats are available at MissouriStateBears.com.
 
For all of the latest information and in game updates on the Missouri State men's soccer team, visit MissouriStateBears.com or follow @MSUBearsMSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
 
Quick Kicks

• Ben Stroud scored his third goal in two games to extend No. 17 Missouri State men's soccer (8-0-0) perfect start to the season in a thrilling 1-0 double overtime win over visiting Omaha on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium.
• The Bears became the first team in program history to open a season with eight straight wins.  MSU is the first Missouri Valley Conference team to start 8-0 since the 2011 Creighton team.   
• MSU is one of four Division-I teams to post a perfect record this season along with Virginia (No. 1), SMU (No. 4), and Navy (No. 21).
• The eight-game winning streak is MSU's longest since the 1999 team recorded 12 straight wins.
• MSU's attack ranks 21st in the nation in scoring offense with 17 goals on the season, outscoring opponents 17-3 through eight matches in 2019.
• Josh Dolling is tied for second nationally with his four game-winners, recording the go-ahead goal in the first four matches for the Bears.  After finishing atop the Missouri Valley Conference in goals scored (10) and total points (23) in 2018, he leads the league in both categories with five goals and 12 total points.
• The Bears' defense leads the conference in goals against average (0.364), surrendering three goals and holding opponents to 14 shots on goal this season.  MSU has been unyielding defensively in the latter stages of matches, outscoring its opponents in the second half and overtime by an 11-0 margin.  
• Goalkeeper Michael Creek has made all eight starts in goal this season for the Bears with 11 saves and a total of 730:39 minutes played.
• Jack Denton leads the team with three assists on the season as six different Bears have at least two assists this year.  MSU ranks first in the conference in assists per game with 16 total assists in 2019.
• Stroud was named the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Bears' 4-0 recent win over Western Illinois, the league announced on Tuesday.  He became the fifth MSU player to receive weekly MVC laurels this season, joining teammates Denton (Defensive, Week 2), Dolling (Offensive, Week 3), Kyle Hiebert (Defensive, Week 3), and Stuart Wilkin (Offensive, Week 4).
• Picked as the Missouri Valley Conference frontrunner in the league's preseason poll, the Bears opened up league play with back-to-back wins for the fifth time in the past seven seasons, winning 3-1 over Valparaiso on Sept. 18, followed by a 2-1 win in overtime at Loyola on Sept. 22.

 Know the Foe

• Evansville (2-5-1) has dropped three straight matches after falling 2-0 to Santa Clara on Sunday, Sept. 29.  They are 0-2 to start conference play this season, losing a pair of 2-1 matches to Loyola and Valparaiso.
• The Purple Aces rank eighth nationally in shot accuracy (0.511) with 46 shots on goal and 90 total shots on the season.
• Frederik Reimer has all eight starts in goal for the Purple Aces, collecting 27 saves on the year to rank second in the MVC.
• Evansville has nine total goals this season with Jesse Stafford-Lacey and Ryan Harris leading the team with three goals and 11 shots apiece.
• Marshall Ray is 30-42-13 in his fifth season as head coach for Evansville.  He is 1-4-2 against Missouri State in his coaching career, winning his lone match versus the Bears in a 2-1 contest on Oct. 29, 2016 in Springfield.  

 Series History

• Missouri State leads the all-time series 19-10-5 against Evansville after the Bears knocked off the Purple Aces 5-2 in the quarterfinal match of the 2018 MVC Championship on Nov. 7, 2018.
• MSU owns an eight-game unbeaten streak in the series when playing in Evansville, Ind. with the Purple Aces' last home win against the Bears coming on a 1-0 result on Oct. 11, 2006.
• The two teams have faced each other in the MVC Tournament the past two seasons with MSU advancing on penalty kicks in both matches.
• Head coach Jon Leamy has been at the helm for all 35 matches in the series, posting a 12-3-2 record in the past 15 contests between the two teams.