DeKalb, Ill. - The No. 15 Missouri State men's soccer team got Missouri Valley Conference play started with a bang as the Bears visited new conference foe Northern Illinois and took home their most dominant win of the season by a score of 3-0.

"It was a tremendous team effort," head coach Michael Seabolt said. "A lot of guys stepped up. It's always important to get three points in conference play. It's a good start for the team, but it's only the start."

This marks the first time Missouri State scored multiple goals in a game, and it did so with three different scorers at different parts of the game.

The Bears got on the board early thanks to senior forward and reigning MVC Player of the Year Jesus Barea knocking in his second goal in as many games with a shot in the top left corner to give Missouri State the lead in the 29th minute. Senior midfielder Kian Yari connected with Barea for his second assist of the year.

Missouri State also made some strong stops on defense early on, preventing Northern Illinois leading scorer Camilo Estrada from scoring as soon as the Huskies kicked the game off. Senior goalkeeper Harry Townsend earned his first of three saves on the shot. His three saves match the total he had all season coming into Saturday night, showing how stout the defense has been all year.

The Bears continued the streak of outshooting opponents, putting 11 shots out and six on goal compared to the Huskies' five shots and three on goal.

"I thought the guys had a good mindset to keep going for the second goal," Seabolt said. "We defended hard and kept working as a team. That showed in the result."

A few more quick attempts on goal set the tone for Missouri State who entered the locker room leading 1-0 at the half.

Despite holding the lead, the Bears continued to mount pressure and make life difficult for the Huskies. Senior forward Pablo Guillen followed a near miss on a shot 10 minutes into the second half with his first goal of the season three minutes later on a towering, curved shot from outside the goal box that found a pocket over the extending goalkeeper. Senior midfielder Jack Denton was credited with his first assist of 2023.

"Pablo has worked really hard to keep improving since he's come to Missouri State," Seabolt said. "He had a great week in training and earned his playing time. I am really happy for him to take his chance and make the most of it.

Similar to previous games, Missouri State was exceptional at stopping corner kicks. The Bears faced six corners, including three within one minute, and came away with their fourth shutout of the year.

Missouri State substitutes closed the deal as sophomore forward Gijs Hovius scored in only his second appearance as a Bear with a goal on a rebound after Barea had a shot deflected by the goalkeeper.

Missouri State (4-0-1) will have nearly another full week to prepare for its conference test as it comes back home to host Belmont (3-2-2) on Friday, September 22 at 7:00 p.m. at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium.

"We don't take anything for granted," Seabolt said. "We stay humble and we will work hard for the next game."