Box Score (PDF)
SPRINGFIELD – For the second-straight week, a three-goal second half propelled the Missouri State men's soccer team (9-1-2, 5-0-0) to its fifth Missouri Valley Conference victory Wednesday, keeping the Bears undefeated in Valley play and atop the standings with a 3-0 victory over visiting SIU Edwardsville.
The Bears controlled the first half on paper, outshooting SIUE (4-7-2, 1-5-0) 15-4 in the opening 45 minutes. Despite the lopsided stat line, the MSU offense could not get a shot past Cougar goalkeeper Eric Bauche, who was up to task early.
In the second half, MSU's offensive attack kept firing, sending five shots toward the SIUE net before breaking through in the 60th minute. James Jennings scored the first goal of his career off a well-placed corner kick from Kian Yari to give the Bears the go-ahead goal.
"It was a great win from the lads, three-nil. It was a tough first half, and it just wasn't there, but we regrouped in the second half and got some good goals," said Jennings. "My first two goals, I'm obviously happy about that, but it's good to get the three points."
Thirteen minutes after the match's first goal, a sequence of shots from Jesus Barea resulted in the Cougars netting a shot past their own goalkeeper. The own goal gave MSU a 2-0 advantage late in the match.
MSU wasn't done, though, and neither was Jennings. With three minutes remaining in the match, a double assist from Jon Koka and Giacomo Sala set up Jennings to head the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net, to conclude the Bears' three-goal scoring spree.
On the other side of the field, Bears' goalkeeper Harry Townsend recorded MSU's eighth shutout of the season, three shy of matching the club record.
"I'm proud of the guys tonight, it was a great team effort," said head coach Michael Seabolt. "We've got to play SIUE again and I know they'll be really tough the next time we play them at their place, and we'll just focus on Belmont this weekend and keep going."
The victory extends the Bears' conference winning streak to a national-best 15 games, dating back to the start of their 2021 campaign.
MSU will enjoy a short break before traveling to Belmont on Sunday, Oct. 23, ahead of the team's final home match on Friday, Oct. 28 vs. Drake on homecoming weekend. The matchup between the Bears and the Bruins on Sunday will kick off at 2 p.m. at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville and is a rematch of MSU's 2-0 home win on Oct. 9 against the league newcomers.
"We're excited to return home next weekend to host Drake on Homecoming weekend," continued Seabolt. "It'll be a great time to celebrate our seniors and our men's soccer alumni as well."
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