Box Score (PDF)
CHICAGO – In the 64th minute of the Bears' fourth Missouri Valley Conference match of the season, a goal from Adrian Barosen kick-started a second-half rally that saw the Missouri State men's soccer team defeat the University of Illinois Chicago, 3-1, here Saturday afternoon.
In the opening minutes of the Bears' second road contest of the season, offensive opportunities were limited as both teams put their best foot forward on the defensive side of the ball.
Eighteen minutes in, UIC (3-6-2, 1-3-1) broke through MSU's traditionally stout backline, to take the 1-0 lead over the Bears early in the match.
MSU fired off six shots in the remaining minutes of the first period, but none made it past the Flames' goalkeeper Andres Vasquez.
Coming out of the break, the contest continued to be an evenly-matched affair, but in the 64th minute, Barosen gave the Bears the equalizer they needed after firing a long shot through traffic to land it in the lower right-hand corner of the net.
The junior's first goal of the season turned out to be the spark MSU needed. Six minutes later it was Jon Koka's turn, as he netted the Bears' game-winning goal off an assist from Daniel Normann to give them the 2-1 advantage.
The late scores opened the floodgates for MSU, and the team wasn't done. In the 77th minute, Kian Yari added some insurance for the Bears, completing MSU's come-from-behind victory while scoring the team's third unanswered goal of the day.
"It was a tough game, both teams started really well, and they happened to get the first goal while we missed a few chances," said head coach Michael Seabolt. "But our guys, both starters and substitutes, had a fantastic response to control the second half and win the match."
Though conceding the early goal, the Bears defense only allowed the Flames to get off three shots in the second period, while holding the overall advantage in shots, 12-11.
The win improves MSU to 8-1-2 on the season while staying undefeated in conference play.
"We're looking forward to being back in front of our fans and students for a big match against our local rival, SIUE, on Wednesday," finished Seabolt.
MSU returns home next week to host the Cougars in a midweek, Wednesday night match, with kickoff set for 6 p.m.
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