Final Stats | Season Stats 

PEORIA, Ill. – Strong first-half play and a lone goal were enough to secure the Missouri State men's soccer team's (8-1-0, 4-0-0) sixth-straight win, as the Bears beat the Bradley Braves 1-0 here Saturday night to move to 8-1 on the regular season and stay undefeated in Missouri Valley Conference play.\

"It was a hard fought win on the road against a tough Bradley team," said head coach designate Michael Seabolt. "Three matches in eight days and we won all three for nine points in the league. Proud of the guys."

MSU and Bradley started off the night trading possession and control on opposite sides of the field. Several shot attempts fell flat for the Bears until Kian Yari lined up for a free kick in the 28th minute. The junior midfielder let the ball fly off his right foot, narrowly sneaking it through the hands of the Bradley goalkeeper to find the lower right-hand corner of the net.  

The Bears continued their aggressive play into halftime, taking the 5-1 advantage of shots into the locker room.  

The second half was a defensive battle by both teams, with 23 total fouls marring the night. Ultimately, MSU held the advantage over Bradley (2-7-0, 1-3-0) in shots, 8-1, and shots on goal on the night. Senior goalkeeper Michael Creek picked up a clean, not registering an official save, but keeping the Braves out of the box several times.  

Five Bears played full games for MSU, with Creek, Connor Langan, Greg Stratton, Kyle Hiebert and freshman Michael Peck staying on the field for the full 90 minutes.  

The conference win not only keeps the Bears undefeated against Missouri Valley opponents this season, but it also moves MSU's record to 21-1-0 against MVC foes since 2019.  

"We're excited to get back to Springfield and have a week to train. We can be better and that is exciting," said Seabolt. 

Missouri State returns home next week to host Loyola on Saturday, Oct. 9. The Ramblers are currently just below the Bears in conference standings, sitting in second place in the MVC. The match will kick off at 6 p.m. Admission is free to fans this season at all home soccer matches at Allison South Stadium.  

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