SPRINGFIELD – A second half, come-from-behind victory avenged the Missouri State men's soccer team (3-1-0) on Wednesday night, as the Bears rallied to defeat Central Arkansas (4-1-0), 2-1, and hand the visitors their first loss of the season.

The winning rally started late in the game, when forward Jon Koka netted a header off assists from midfielder Kian Yari and forward Aadne Bruseth 61 minutes into regulation that tied the score, 1-1. The tying goal marked Koka's fourth in four games, and his sixth goal to find the back of the net in as many matches.

"I'm hungry to score goals," said Koka. "This is the year, so I want to keep going." 

The hungry, home team Bears then picked up the offensive pace as minutes ran off the clock. In the 83rd minute, MSU completed its comeback when defender Kyle Hiebert found the net off a header of his own to give the Bears the decisive 2-1 lead and third win of the season. MSU controlled possession the remainder of the game, and held the large advantage in shots, 10-2, and shots on goal, 3-1.

The bounce-back win comes five days after MSU's shutout loss at Tulsa on Sept. 3. 

"I'm just so proud of them for staying on task and for fighting back," head coach designate Michael Seabolt said after the game. "We challenged ourselves that we needed to bounce back from Tulsa, and it was a great result from the guys."

UCA struck first, early in the game, as confusion in the box resulted in the opposing team slipping a ball past senior goalkeeper Michael Creek at the 8-minute mark. For the second time in as many games, the Bears were tasked with digging themselves out of an early deficit.

The win also moves MSU's home record to 23-2-1 dating back to 2018.

The game also highlighted a meeting between MSU's Seabolt and UCA's head coach Frank Kohlenstein, as the two honored colleague and friend Tim Hankinson and his fight with cancer. 

"It's bigger than the game of soccer," Seabolt said. 

The Bears return to action when Missouri State hosts Eastern Illinois on Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. Admission is free to all at MSU home soccer matches this fall.