No. 18 Missouri State (8-2-3, 4-1-1 MVC) vs. Bowling Green (7-5-3, 4-2-0 MVC)
Date	Friday, Oct. 27 | 6:00 p.m. CT
Location	Bowling Green, Ohio
Site	Mickey Cochrane Stadium
Ticket	Free Admission
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SPRINGFIELD - The No. 18-ranked Missouri State men's soccer team (8-2-3, 4-1-1) heads into its final regular season road game looking to avenge its tough loss at home against Western Michigan last Sunday. The Bears hold a one-point lead over their upcoming opponent, the Bowling Green Falcons (7-5-3, 4-2-0), for second in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with one game remaining following their matchup on Friday, October 27, at 6:00 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on YouTube with the winner having the chance at a first-round bye in the MVC Tournament starting Sunday, November 5.

Notes

• Missouri State men's soccer holds the best DI overall record of 67-9-8 (.845), best conference record of 37-2-3 (.917) and fifth-best home record of 38-5-4 (.851) since the beginning of the 2019 season. The Bears are tied for the 21st-best win percentage in 2023 with Davidson (.731).

• The Bears are ranked No. 18 in the Week 9 United Soccer Coaches Poll, down eight spots from last week. The team has been in the top 25 for nine straight weeks and has been as high as No. 9 this season. The highest Missouri State has ever been ranked was No. 3 in 2000.

• Missouri State lost a heartbreaker to Western Michigan 2-1 last Sunday. After sophomore forward Daniel Normann scored his first goal of the season with two seconds left in the first half, the Broncos scored two goals in one minute to win.

• The loss to Western Michigan was Missouri State's first conference loss since April 8, 2021 against Loyola Chicago in the regular season finale of the spring COVID season, snapping a 29-game Valley unbeaten streak. 

• The Bears' precision offense leads the nation in shot accuracy with 87 of 164 shots being on goal (.530). Missouri State has outshot opponents 164-61 through 13 games and is tied for 27th in DI with a 20-7 goal differential (+13), which is second in the conference behind Western Michigan (+21). The Bears lead the conference in shots on goal per game (6.69), good for tied for 13th in the nation. 

• Jesus Barea is second in the country in shot accuracy with 19 of his 28 shots being on goal (.679). He is tied for third in the conference with three game-winning goals and third in shots on goal per game (1.46), good for 42nd in the nation.

• Sophomore forward Gijs Hovius leads the Bears with four goals this season, securing the lead with his third-minute goal against Evansville last week. Senior forward Jon Koka scored his third goal of the season against the Purple Aces. All three of his goals have come in the last six games, including back-to-back games before Western Michigan.

• Senior goalkeeper Harry Townsend has allowed seven goals (with one being on a penalty kick) in 1,170 minutes. Townsend is tied for fourth in the nation in total shutouts (7), 23rd in save percentage (.788), third in goalkeeper goals against average (.538) and is a two-time MVC Defensive Player of the Week this season. He is currently tied for fifth on the Missouri State all-time shutout list with Brad Barnes (21).

• Missouri State's defense has also been strong, only allowing six live goals in its first 13 games, including just three conference goals. The Bears are second in fewest goals allowed (7), only behind Bryant (4). Missouri State is tied for fifth in the country in shutout percentage (0.538) and is third in team goals against average (0.538). Bryant leads both categories. 

• Since 2019, Missouri State is 49-0-0 when scoring two or more goals. The last time the Bears scored two goals and lost was Nov. 9, 2018, in the MVC semifinals vs. No. 1 seed Central Arkansas when Missouri State lost in penalty kicks.

• Missouri State has played clean soccer and is third in the nation in fewest fouls per game (8.15), only behind Boston College (8.07) and Indiana (8.13). The Bears have committed the least total fouls in the nation (106).

Series History

• Missouri State leads the all-time series with Bowling Green 1-0-0 going into the second matchup between the two and first as conference rivals. 

• The only ever game played between the two teams was on September 2, 2000 in Omaha, Nebraska as part of the Diadora Classic hosted by Creighton. Missouri State won 2-1. Before last Sunday against Western Michigan, the Bears had their most recent game against the Broncos in a similar circumstance, also at Creighton's home tournament in 2004.

• Only five Missouri State players, Javier Martin Gil, Pascal Corvino, Jack Denton, Kengo Ohira and Maliek Howell were alive the last time the teams met. Gianluca Fiorini, James Jennings and Pedro Arcoverde were born later in the month of the most recent matchup.

Scouting the Falcons

• The Bowling Green State Falcons enter Friday evening's game 7-5-3 on the season with a 4-2-0 record in MVC play, sitting one point behind Missouri State for second in the MVC. Bowling Green is an undefeated 6-0-1 at home with its lone tie coming against DePaul on September 8. Missouri State enters with an unbeaten road record of 5-0-2. Just like Western Michigan and Northern Illinois, Bowling Green is in its first year in the MVC as the Mid-American Conference no longer has men's soccer.

• The Falcons have outscored opponents 23-21 and are tied with Belmont for fourth in the MVC in goals scored. The +2 goal differential comes from Bowling Green being 2-for-2 in penalty kick attempts. Junior forward Taylor Dyson scored a penalty kick in the 39th minute against Northern Kentucky and junior midfielder Alberto Anaya scored a penalty kick in the ninth minute of the Falcons' last game against Drake. Bowling Green is tied for 27th in the nation with two red cards.  

• Bowling Green has had 11 different goal scorers, with six having scored multiple times in 2023. Sophomore forward Trace Terry and fifth-year forward Eli Shope lead the Falcons with four goals each. Shope scored in the season-opener against Cleveland State and scored most recently two games ago against UIC. Terry got his goals by getting two consecutive braces against Bradley and Evansville. Freshman forward Bennett Painter is fresh off his first two career goals in a brace against Drake last Sunday.

• The Falcons have a strong last line of defense in net with senior goalkeeper Brendan Graves, who has played all 1,350 minutes for the Falcons. The 2023 Preseason All-MVC goalkeeper is second in the conference with 4.80 saves per game, good for tied for 13th in DI. He is also tied for 39th in the nation with a .744 save percentage. Bowling Green has an even shot differential of 188-188, meaning Graves has faced a lot of shots. He is tied for sixth in the country in total saves (72).