SPRINGFIELD – 19th-ranked Missouri State men's soccer (6-0-0) continues its current road trip with a non-conference match against Western Illinois (0-7-0) on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 4:00 p.m. in Macomb, Ill.
 

Missouri State at Western Illinois
Dates	Thursday, Sept. 26 | 4:00 p.m.
Location	Macomb, Ill.
Site	John MacKenzie Alumni Field
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Match Details
Kickoff from John MacKenzie Alumni Field is set for 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26 in Macomb, Ill.  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

• Missouri State men's soccer (6-0-0) pushed its winning streak to six games courtesy of Stuart Wilkin's game-winning goal in a 2-1 overtime win against Loyola on Sunday, Sept. 22 in Chicago.
• For the second straight year, Missouri State cracked the United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll, coming in at No. 19 in the latest poll that was announced on Tuesday.  The Bears rank second in the United Soccer Coaches West Region poll behind Saint Mary's (CA).  Last year, the Bears checked in at No. 25 in the United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll on Oct. 9, 2018.
• The Bears have opened the season with six consecutive wins for the first time since the 1995 team started their season 7-0.
• With recent wins against Valparaiso and Loyola, MSU won back-to-back matches to begin Missouri Valley Conference play for the fifth time in the past seven seasons.
• Josh Dolling leads the nation 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 is tied for first in the league with four goals and ranks second with nine total points.
• Missouri State has outscored its opponents 12-3 on the season, beginning the season with four straight shutouts for the first time in program history.
• The Bears' defense leads the conference in goals against average (0.494), surrendering three goals and holding opponents to eight 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 8-0 margin.  
• Goalkeeper Michael Creek has made all six starts in goal this season for the Bears with five saves and a total of 546:28 minutes played.
• MSU leads the MVC in assists per game with 11 assists on the year.  Aadne Gikling Bruseth, Jack Denton, Will Osgathorpe, and Stuart Wilkin each have two assists to lead the Bears this season.
• Wilkin was named MVC Offensive Player of the Week the league announced on Tuesday, becoming the fourth MSU player to receive weekly MVC honors this season.  The Bears swept the MVC weekly accolades last week as Dolling and Kyle Hiebert were named MVC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively.  Jack Denton was tabbed MVC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Missouri State's 3-0 shutout win over Kansas City on Sept. 7.
• Picked as the Missouri Valley Conference frontrunner in the league's preseason poll, Missouri State is the only unbeaten team remaining in the MVC, boasting a 2-0-0 conference record.

 Know the Foe

• Western Illinois (0-7-0) lost 2-0 in a road match at Kansas City on Saturday, after dropping a 1-0 result at home against fellow MVC team Drake on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
• The Leathernecks' attack averages eight shots per game, tallying a total of 56 shots in 2019.  Junior midfielder Mitchell Moynihan is the leading goal scorer for WIU with two goals in just 98 minutes played this season.   
• Goalkeeper Tim Trilk leads the Summit League in saves with 44 on the season, while posting a .710 save percentage and starting all seven games in goal for the Leathernecks.
• Dr. Eric Johnson is 174-216-40 in his 23rd year as head coach for Western Illinois.  He is 3-6-1 coaching against Missouri State, winning 2-0 on Oct. 24, 2006 in the last match played in Macomb, Ill.

 Series History

• Missouri State leads the all-time series 13-5-1 between the two teams, with the Bears winning the previous two matches.  After a four-season hiatus, MSU recorded a 1-0 shutout to beat WIU in last year's match at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium on Oct. 2, 2018. 
• The Bears are 3-2-0 when playing in Macomb with the Leathernecks, winning the most recent match 2-0 on Oct. 24, 2006.
• WIU is winless in its three home matches this season, being outscored 7-3 inside John MacKenzie Alumni Field.