SPRINGFIELD - The Missouri State women's soccer team (1-2-1) returns to action Thursday night at 7 p.m. where they'll face in-state foe Saint Louis (3-1-0) to cap off a three game home stretch. The game can be viewed on ESPN+.
Match Details
Missouri State women's soccer plays Saint Louis on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Allison South Stadium. The match will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
For all the latest information and in game updates on the Missouri State women's soccer team, visit MissouriStateBears.com or follow @MSUBearsWSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
Quick Kicks
• Four Bears have found the back of the net so far.
Joey Fosnow (Fr., F, Lee's Summit, Mo) scored the first of the year for MSU in the 54th minute vs. SEMO.
Kaeli Benedict (So., M, Bridgton, Mo.) also scored against the Redhawks in the 67th minute.
Grace O'Keefe (So., F, Overland Park, Kan.) got one past the goalkeeper on a penalty kick in the 29th minute against Tulsa, and
Riley Smith (Fr., F, Platte City, Mo.) also found the back of the net in the 85th minute vs the Golden Hurricane.
• Three Bears have racked up assists on the year.
Hailey Chambliss (Fr., M, Eureka, Mo.) assisted on Fosnow's goal vs. SEMO,
Carly Raunig (Jr., D, Olathe, Kan.) assisted on Benedict's goal vs. SEMO, and O'Keefe assisted on Smith's goal vs. Tulsa.
• Fosnow and O'Keefe co-lead the Bears offensively, both accounting for nine shots, six shots on goal, and one goal apiece. Smith also has nine shots, including four on goal, and one goal scored.
• Fosnow and O'Keefe's six shots on goal are tied for the most in the MVC with Evansville's Emily Ormson.
• O'Keefe has three points on the season, the 7th highest in the MVC.
• MSU is averaging 13.25 shots per game, good for 3rd in the MVC (and 125th nationally).
• Through four games,
Kyli Jackson (Sr., D/M, Overland Park, Kan.) has logged the most minutes of any Bear at 328.
•
Hailey Chambliss (Fr., M, Eureka, Mo.) and
Carly Raunig (Jr., D, Olathe, Kan.) both registered assists on the two MSU goals against SEMO. Chambliss assisted Fosnow's goal, while Raunig assisted Benedict's.
• On top of the eight freshmen new to this year's squad, the Bears also added two players via transfer:
Gracie English (Jr., F/M, Belleville, Ill, Saint Louis) and
Ana Paula Fraiz (So., M, Caracas, Venezuela, Fresno-Pacific).
• Prior to the 2022 season, English transferred from SLU. In her two seasons with the Billikens, she appeared in 12 matches while logging 192 minutes of action and registering two shots on goal.
•
Isabel Burke (Sr., D, St. Louis, Mo.) and
Grace O'Keefe were selected to the Preseason AllMVC team, announced on Aug. 16, 2022.
• In the recent MVC preseason coaches' poll, Missouri State was picked eighth in the eleven-team league garnering 51 points. Valparaiso was voted the preseason favorite. Previously, Loyola was voted first four years in a row before their departure for the Atlantic 10. Indiana State was voted second with 94 points, right ahead of third place Murray State with 85.
• The Bears return 16 letterwinners from last year's squad. Seven players are on their last year of eligibility, including
Isabel Burke (Sr., D, St. Louis, Mo.),
Hannah Peterson (Sr., GK, Kansas City, Mo.),
Emma Hensley (Sr., D, Edwardsville, Ill),
Kyli Jackson (Sr., D/M, Overland Park, Kan.),
Bella Bryson (Sr., M/F, Overland Park, Kan.),
Jade Loftness (Sr., M/D, Overland Park, Kan.), and
Maddie Augustine (Sr., D, Lincoln, Neb.).
Head Coach Kirk Nelson
• Head coach
Kirk Nelson took the reins of the Bears on Jan. 1, 2022, after eight seasons as associate head coach. Nelson replaced former Bears' head coach and founder of the MSU women's program Rob Brewer, who retired last season after 26 years. Prior to joining the Missouri State staff, Nelson spent four seasons at the University of Nevada, including one as associate head coach. During his last two seasons in Nevada, Nelson led the Wolfpack to back-to-back Mountain West Conference Tournaments. Nelson also had success as a high school head coach near Phoenix, AZ, spending time at both Mountain Pointe High School and Chandler High School. Nelson racked up 175 wins and competed for a pair of 5A state championships during this time. Nelson is certified as a USSF National "A" License coach, one of the highest coaching certifications given out by the federation and holds both an NSCAA Premier Diploma and a Goalkeeping Diploma.
Bears From Abroad
• The Missouri State women's soccer features three international players on their roster this season.
Eydis Helgadottir is from Reykjavik, Iceland (Commercial College of Reykjavik) while
Iraia Arrue and
Ana Paula Fraiz are from Caracas, Venezuela (both from Colegio Jefferson). Helgadottir is the second player in Bears in program history from Iceland while Arrue and Fraiz are the first Missouri State players to hail from Venezuela.
Built Some Bears
• The Missouri State coaching staff has developed quite a pipeline from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas in recent years as five alums are on the roster.
Bella Bryson,
Carly Raunig,
Kyli Jackson,
Grace O'Keefe and
Abby Hansen all played for the Saints. All-time, there have been nine Aquinas graduates to take the pitch for the Bears.
Series History
• Saint Louis leads the series, 11-2-6.
• The two teams last met on 9/9/21 in St. Louis. The match ended in a draw, 0-0 (2OT).
A Look Ahead
• After the matchup with Saint Louis, the Bears will travel to Tulsa, Okla. for a matchup on Sunday at 3 p.m. against Oral Roberts.
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