SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State men's soccer opens up Missouri Valley Conference play with a midweek matchup against Valparaiso on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium.
 

Missouri State vs. Valparaiso
Dates	Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 12:00 p.m.
Location	Springfield, Mo.
Site	Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium
Follow Along	Live Stats | Watch Live
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Match Details
Kickoff is set for a 12:00 p.m. start on Wednesday, Sept. 18 from Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium in Springfield, Mo. Live stats and a live stream of the match 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

• Josh Dolling notched his fourth straight game-winning goal for the Missouri State men's soccer team as they prevailed in a 2-1 overtime thriller against Tulsa Saturday night at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium.
• Dolling was selected to Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Week for his stellar performance on the pitch last week for the Bears.  He leads the nation with his four game-winners, recording the go-ahead goal in each of the Bears' four straight wins to open the season.  After finishing atop the Missouri Valley Conference in goals scored (10) and total points (23) in 2018, he leads the league in both categories this season with four goals and eight total points.
• The Bears' defense ranks fifth nationally in goals against average (0.247), surrendering just one goal and holding opponents to four shots on goal this season.  With three clean sheets in 2019, goalkeeper Michael Creek has recorded nine career shutouts, two games shy of tying Lance Parker (2004-07) for sixth on the school's all-time career leaders in shutouts.
• MSU is 15th in the nation in corner kicks per game with a total of 28 on the season.  The Bears have held their opponents to a total of 12 corner kicks for the year, allowing zero goals off the set pieces.
• Missouri State ranks second in the Sept. 17 United Soccer Coaches West Region poll behind Saint Mary's (CA), while receiving 22 votes in the national poll behind that was released on Tuesday.
• Dolling and junior defender Kyle Hiebert were selected as MVC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.  Both players earned preseason conference honors, joining Ben Stroud on the Preseason All-MVC Team for MSU.
• Picked as the Missouri Valley Conference frontrunner in the league's preseason poll, Missouri State is the only unbeaten team remaining in the conference.

 Know the Foe

• Valparaiso is 1-3-1 on the season, falling 2-1 in double overtime against Oral Roberts on Sunday, Sept. 15.
• The Crusader's offense has started off the 2019 season by scoring 11 goals in five matches, leading the conference in team goals and total points (31).
• Three different goalkeepers have started in goal for Valparaiso this season with freshman Edvin Host playing in three matches and tallying 18 saves to lead the Crusaders. 
• Cole Rainwater is tied for second in the MVC, behind MSU's Josh Dolling, with three goals on the season, adding eight shots on goal for the Crusaders' attack.
• Mike Avery is 88-93-46 in his 13th season as head coach for Valparaiso.  He has three straight shutout losses against the Bears, posting an 0-3-1 record in four matches between the two teams.
• In 2018, Valparaiso finished third in the conference with a 2-1-3 record against conference foes.  The Crusaders lost 2-1 in overtime against Drake in the first round of the 2018 MVC Tournament.

 Series History

• Missouri State is unbeaten in the all-time series against Valparaiso, owning an 8-0-1 advantage against the Crusaders. 
• The Bears won the last meeting between the two teams 1-0 on Sept. 22, 2018 in the 700th match of the MSU men's soccer program. 
• In a series that dates back to 1989, MSU has outscored Valparasio 20-5 in nine matches, recording three straight shutouts versus the Crusaders.  The Bears are 3-0-1 at Allison South Stadium against Valpo.