SPRINGFIELD – No. 13 Missouri State (5-0-0, 4-0-0 MVC) returns to Springfield to face Missouri Valley Conference foe Drake (2-1-1, 2-1-1 MVC) and conclude its season series with the Bulldogs on Monday, March 22 at 3:30 p.m.
 

#13 Missouri State vs. Drake
Date	Monday, March 22 | 3:30 p.m.
Location	Springfield, Mo.
Site	Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium (Free Admission) | 2021 Fan Guide
Follow Along	Live Stats
Missouri State	Men's Soccer Home Page | Record Book | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Match Details
Kickoff from Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 22.  Admission to all home games is free this season with masks and social distancing required for all spectators.  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

• A golden goal courtesy of Kian Yari captured a 1-0 overtime thriller for Missouri State at Bradley on Thursday, March 18.  In the waning seconds of the extra period, Nicolo Mulatero sent a ball into the box that ricocheted off the chest of Jesus Barea to the feet of Yari who executed a brilliant hesitation move to clear a lane and deliver the decisive blow.   
• The Bears attack added another double-digit effort in corner set-pieces, boasting an 18-1 advantage over the Braves on Thursday.  MSU leads all of Division I men's soccer in corner kicks per game (12.20) with a staggering 61 through five matches.  Missouri State was held to a season-low seven corner kicks against the Bulldogs in Des Moines, but still owned a +5 margin in the category.
• The MSU defense has allowed just one goal in 2021 while holding opponents scoreless in four of its first five matches.  The Bears opened up the year with three straight shutouts recorded, a feat they accomplished last season on two separate occasions (Sept. 2-10, 2019; Sept. 26-Oct. 9, 2019).  The Bears lead the MVC with a .196 goals against average and are tied for 10th in the nation.  With the four clean sheets, MSU's shutout percentage (.800) is tied for 10th-best among Division I teams.
• Nicolo Mulatero (Jr., F, Givoletto, Italy) tallied his fourth assist of the season on Yari's game-winner on Thursday.  As the Valley leader in assists, he's contributed to MSU goals in four of the five matches.  Additionally, Mulatero is 2-2 on PK chances this year to put him atop the conference in points (8) with his four assists and two goals.
• Missouri State has garnered four conference player of the week honors with all of them coming in three consecutive weeks.  Kyle Hiebert was the latest Bear to receive recognition after earning defensive laurels on March 16.  Preceding him with an MVC weekly accolade is Dawson Lee who earned offensive honors on March 9 and Nicolo Mulatero (offensive) and Connor Langan (defensive) who swept the categories on March 2.
• Michael Creek (Sr., GK, St. Louis, Mo.) has held opponents scoreless in four of his five matches while logging all 459:23 goalie minutes for the Bears.  The four clean sheets in 2021 gives him 17 for his career to rank fourth on the program's career shutout list.  He has saved 11 of the 12 shots sent his way for a .917 save percentage that is second among MVC keepers.  Creek earned MVC Goalkeeper of the Year in 2019 after finishing the season with seven shutouts and a 0.645 goals against average that ranked ninth in the nation.

Know the Foe

• Since losing to MSU on March 4, Drake (2-1-1, 2-1-1 MVC) has rattled off back-to-back wins with a 2-0 triumph over Bradley on March 9, followed by a 2-1 result against Loyola on Thursday, March 18. 
• Goalkeeper Jared Brown has started all four games between the pipes for Drake, allowing just two goals on the season.  He has collected 10 saves and his .474 goals against average ranks second in the league behind Creek's .196.  On offense, the Bulldogs are paced by two-time all-conference player Leroy Enzugusi who leads the team in shots with seven while scoring a goal in their previous match against the Ramblers.  
• Gareth Smith is 41-45-11 in his six seasons at the helm for Drake.  He is 2-4-3 against Missouri State in his coaching career and has currently been on the losing end of four straight matches versus the Bears.

Series History

• Missouri State leads the all-time series 17-13-8 against Drake, including a 1-0 victory over the Bulldogs in the first leg of the season series on March 4.
• The Bears are 7-6-3 against the Bulldogs when playing in Springfield.  Last season, MSU was victorious on a 3-1 result at Allison South on Oct. 13, 2019.
• Head coach Jon Leamy owns all 17 of the program's wins against Drake with a 17-12-7 record.  Seven of his wins versus the Bulldogs have come at home.