ST. LOUIS - Missouri State senior goalkeeper Harry Townsend has won the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week Award, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.

Townsend secured his league-leading fifth shutout of the season in last Friday night's 1-0 against the Belmont Bruins on account of his second-straight multi-save outing. He set the tone by making a diving save in the 13th minute to prevent Belmont's AJ Chastonay from giving Belmont an early lead. Townsend preserved the lead in the 76th minute with another diving save off a header from Belmont's leading scorer Brock Kiper.

Townsend's five shutouts are tied for fourth in the nation. He also sits fourth in the county in save percentage (.889) and third in goals against average (.167).

The award marks Townsend's fourth career Defensive Player of the Week distinction and second of the 2023 season, as he won the first award on August 29. 

A Missouri State Bear has won three of the first five Defensive Player of the Week awards this year. Townsend bookends the first and fifth weeks with senior defender Javier Martin Gil falling right in between by winning the honor in the third week on September 12.

Missouri State (5-0-1, 2-0-0 MVC) will be on the road this week as it plays Saint Louis (3-3-1, 1-0-1 Atlantic 10) on Wednesday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m. CT. The Bears return to conference play on Saturday, September 30 when they play Bradley in Peoria, Ill.