CHICAGO - Missouri State men's soccer (5-2, 2-0 Missouri Valley Conference) increased its winning streak to four matches with three second-half goals to take down the UIC Flames (4-4, 0-1 MVC), 3-1 on Saturday night. This was MoState's first win of 2024 in a match where it allowed a goal.

"That's a very good team, one of, if not, the best we've seen all year," head coach Michael Seabolt said of UIC. "The league is super strong this year. It's a great result for our guys to respond going a goal down and bounce back to come away with three points." 

The Flames started hot with the quickest goal the Bears have allowed this season. Former MVC First Team player Jesus De Vicente scored the third minute of play after a foul in the box set up a penalty kick. De Vicente scored his first goal of the season by sending the penalty shot through the right side of the net past the outstretched senior goalkeeper Will Lowry.

"We stuck with our game plan," Seabolt said. "We talked at halftime about really just staying calm and doing the things that we do well. The guys obviously did that."

Missouri State looked to even the score quickly. Sophomore midfielder Adrián Esteban fired a shot seconds after play resumed.

Each team fought hard for the remaining time in the first half. UIC's Alan Alonso was dealt a yellow card for a foul outside Missouri State's scoring box. The Flames blocked the ensuing free kick to avoid the scoring threat. UIC committed eight fouls in the opening 45 minutes compared to Missouri State's three.

De Vicente had another good look at the net minutes before halftime, but his shot went wide of the right post. Senior defender Pedro Arcoverde sent a pass barreling toward the goal box in the final seconds of the half, but senior forward Jesus Barea couldn't chase it down to get a clean shot off. The Bears outshot the Flames in the first half, 4-2, including two shots on goal. 

The second half began the exact same way as the first. A foul inside the scoring box drawn by senior midfielder Daniel Normann gave the Bears a penalty opportunity within the first two minutes of the half.

Senior forward Fumiya Shiraishi picked correctly on the penalty kick, sending it down the left corner while UIC goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski dove the opposite way. The goal was Shiraishi's first as a Bear after scoring five career goals across two seasons at Florida International.

"I was super happy for myself," Shiraishi said. "I'm super happy we won the game, 3-1."

"I'm so happy for Fumi," Seabolt said. "I know he's had some chances in some other games. He took his chance well tonight. We needed him to be big in that moment and he nailed it."

Missouri State kept the pressure going looking to complete the comeback. A Bears' corner kick from sophomore midfielder Tyler Caton was placed for a clear header from senior defender Pedro Arcoverde that went over the crossbar in what was one of Missouri State's best chance to score during live play.

The Bears stayed strong on defense, holding the Flames to just two shots on goal across 10 total shots. Missouri State has allowed just four shots on goal in its last three matches.

Senior goalkeeper Will Lowry made his second consecutive start, notching a save on a free kick in the 77th minute off the foot of Rui Reis.

"When Will had to come in against UCA I didn't see any heads going down," Seabolt said. "He's now played two great matches. We don't distinguish our guys as starters and subs. We're all Bears players and everyone who plays is ready to go."

The clinching goal came in the 83rd minute when the Bears went the full length of the field in quick succession to take a 2-1 lead. Senior forward James Jennings received a massive through ball from fellow senior forward Pablo Guillen. Jennings poked the ball in to notch his second game-winning goal in as many matches.

"James knows Pablo really well," Seabolt said. "He knows that Pablo can put a ball in that area. James made the run and Pablo delivered. I'm proud of both of them."

With the match all but in the books, the Bears left no stone unturned with yet another stunning goal from Barea just six minutes later. Barea took a shot facing the side of the net and threaded the needle for his conference-leading ninth goal of the season. His 28th career goal brings him to sole possession of third on the all-time Missouri State scoring list. 

Barea has scored in six of the team's seven matches this season.

"Jesus played really hard, worked very hard," Seabolt said. "He had a few chances I'm sure he would have liked to take, but he scored the toughest one maybe. He took a really tough angle and finished it off and made what could have been a really scary last five minutes a little easier."

The Bears will have another week to prepare for another road test as they set themselves up for an MVC Tournament final rematch against No. 9-ranked Western Michigan (5-0-3, 0-0-1 MVC) in Kalamazoo on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 11:00 a.m. CT.