SPRINGFIELD - Missouri State men's soccer (8-2-1, 4-0-1 Missouri Valley Conference) returns to the state of Tennessee following its win over Belmont in Nashville for a mid-week match against Memphis (6-4-2, 3-0-1 American Athletic Conference) on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. from The Billy J. Murphy Soccer/Track & Field Complex. The match will be streamed on
ESPN+.
On the Pitch
- Missouri State is coming off back-to-back 12-win seasons under head coach Michael Seabolt, who is in his third season at the helm of the program. MoState has won at least 12 games each season since 2019.
- Since the beginning of the 2019 season, Missouri State men's soccer holds the best Division I overall record of 79-13-9 (.827), best conference record of 43-2-4 (.918) and third-best home record of 44-6-4 (.852), behind Hofstra (42-4-5, .873) and Cornell (27-3-4, .853). The Bears have the 13th-best win percentage in 2024 (.773).
- Seabolt earned his 32nd career win as head coach of the Bears on Saturday against Belmont to tie Jan Stahle for third-most in program history. He can tie Frank Dinka for second (33 wins) on Tuesday. Jon Leamy leads with 309 career wins.
- MSU has made five straight NCAA appearances, joining Kentucky, Indiana, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, New Hampshire, Georgetown, Marshall and Clemson as the only nine DI teams in the nation to make every tournament since 2019.
- Missouri State is ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll released last Tuesday. The poll marks the first time the Bears have been ranked this season and the seventh consecutive year Missouri State has been ranked.
- Missouri State is 7-0-1 in its last eight matches after a 2-1 conference road victory over Belmont on Saturday. Senior forward James Jennings scored two goals within 36 seconds to earn his second straight brace. He is second on the Bears with a career-high six goals this season and 10 goals in his collegiate career.
- Senior goalkeeper Will Lowry has three solo shutouts in his six starts. He leads the nation in goalkeeper goals against average (.473), having allowed just three goals with eight saves in just over 571 minutes of play.
- Senior forward Jesus Barea is tied for fourth in the nation with 10 goals this season. Only Akron's Emil Jaaskelainen (14), Notre Dame's Matthew Roou (12) and West Virginia's Sergio Ors Navarro (11) have more. Barea is in a five-way tie for second that includes MVC-foe Bowling Green's Trace Terry.
- Barea leads DI in shots on goal per game (3.00) and is third in shots per game (4.64) behind Cornell's Alex Harris (5.09) and Jaaskelainen (4.85). Barea is tied for fifth in goals per match (0.91) with Hughes. Barea is also tied for fifth in points per game (2.00) with Wisconsin's Dean Boltz. Barea is tied for sixth in total points (22).
- Barea is third all-time in Missouri State history in goals (29) and points (75) and is second in shots (231). He trails Jamal Sutton (2000-03) by five career shots (236) for the program record.
- MoState is tied for ninth in DI in shot accuracy with 73 of 146 shots being on goal (.500). Missouri State was fourth in that category last season (124-of-240; .517). Barea is seventh in DI in individual shot accuracy with 33 of 51 shots being on goal (.647). He was fourth in shot accuracy last year (29-of-48; .604).
- Missouri State's stifling defense has allowed three goals during its eight-match unbeaten streak. The Bears have only allowed 12 shots on goal in that span. MoState is outshooting opponents 146-64 across the season.
Series History vs. Memphis
- The Missouri State Bears and Memphis Tigers go head-to-head for the 17th time overall and the seventh time in Memphis. The Tigers lead the all-time series 9-5-2 and are 5-1-0 at home against the Bears.
- Memphis has won each of the last three meetings against Missouri State (2016, 2017, 2023). The last time the Bears defeated the Tigers was in a 1-0 overtime victory at Plaster Field in Springfield on Oct. 3, 2012. The two teams fought to a scoreless draw on Sept. 14, 2014 at the SMU Invitational.
- Last season, the Tigers defeated the Bears, 1-0, at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium on Oct. 4, 2023. Missouri State outshot Memphis, 12-3, with four shots from Barea. However, a goal in the 65th minute by Giorgos Kondylis was the difference in one of only two matches Missouri State was shut out last year.
Scouting the Tigers
- Memphis enters Tuesday's match 6-4-2 with a 3-0-1 record in The American Athletic Conference. After starting the season 1-4, the Tigers are riding a seven-match unbeaten streak with five wins in that stretch. Memphis' most recent win was a 1-0 home stunner over No. 9 Charlotte on Oct. 5.
- The Tigers most recently fought conference-foe Temple to a scoreless draw on the road in Philadelphia last Saturday. Memphis outshot Temple, 13-10, and 7-1 in the first half, but failed to register a shot on goal in the second half. Kondylis had a penalty kick saved in the 29th minute.
- Memphis leads The American in shots per game (14.00) and shots on goal per game (6.08). It commits the fewest fouls per game in the conference (9.50) which is tied for 17th nationally. The Tigers are fourth in The American in goals per game (1.333), shot accuracy (.435), assists per game (1.167) and are tied for fourth in save percentage (.750).
- Eight Memphis players combine for the team's 16 goals this season. Lleyton Imparato leads the team with four goals and four assists. His four goals came against Lipscomb (Aug. 22), Northern Illinois (Aug. 29), at Georgia State (Sept. 8) and at Tulsa (Sept. 20). He has been held scoreless in four straight matches.
- Goalkeeper Filip Sabatti has played 10 of the team's 12 matches. In 900 minutes of play, the La Salle transfer has 37 saves on nine goals allowed. He is on a four-match shutout streak and has 12 career clean sheets. Sophomore Justin Cox was at net for Memphis' first two matches and allowed five goals.
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