SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri State women's soccer team hosts Valparaiso in both squads' Missouri Valley Conference opener on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium.
 

Missouri State (6-2-1, 0-0-0 MVC) vs Valparaiso (0-9-1, 0-0-0 MVC)
Date & Time	Saturday, Sept. 28 | 2 p.m.
Location	Springfield, Mo.
Site	Betty & Bobby Allison Stadium
Follow Along	Live Stats • ESPN3
Missouri State	Game Notes | 2019 Record Book | Women's Soccer Home Page | Twitter

Missouri State Quick Kicks:

• MSU sits atop the MVC standings at the conclusion of non-conference play, boasting a 6-2-1 mark. Illinois State is the only other Valley member to tally six wins while Loyola rounds out the top three with a 5-4-1 record.
• Kaitlin Maxwell recorded her fourth shutout of the season in the Bears' 1-0 victory at Omaha. MSU has given up one goal or fewer in the past seven contests, with Maxwell posting a 0.683 GAA and league-best .863 save percentage.
• An Omaha own goal in the 30^th minute boosted MSU to a 1-0 shutout in its non-conference finale.
• Through nine games, the Bears scored a Valley fourth-best 14 goals. Freshman forward Unnur Bergsdottir leads MSU's offensive efforts with three goals, cracking the Valley top-10 and tying for second in game-winners (2). Her efforts earned her a MVC Newcomer of the Week honor on Sept. 16.
• The Bears have produced a balanced offense, seeing eight different players score in 2019.
• MSU erupted for five unanswered goals in the second period against Tulsa, seeing four different players find the back of the net. The last time the Bears scored five goals was at SIUE on Sept. 10, 2017, tallying an identical 5-1 mark.

 
Scouting Valparaiso:

• Over the past eight seasons the Crusaders own a 5-2-1 record in their conference opener. This is Valparaiso's third season competing in the Valley.
• Newcomers have made a significant impact on Valparaiso's offense, scoring all three Crusader goals.
• Valparaiso returns 13 letterwinners from last year's roster including five starters.

 
Series History:

• MSU owns a 3-1-1 series advantage over the Crusaders, however all three wins came in 1997-1998. The Bears squared off against Valparaiso twice in 1997, combining for five goals in 2-0 (Oct. 3) and 3-0 (Nov. 6) victories.
• The Bears are searching for their first win since Valparaiso joined the MVC in 2017. In their last meeting, both MSU registered a 1-1 double overtime draw at Brown Field.