SPRINGFIELD - Senior Fumiya Shiraishi found the back of the net a whopping four times in No. 24 Missouri State men's soccer's 4-1 victory over visiting Seattle on Thursday in MSU's season opener. The forward from Japan tied a school record with his performance.
The feat of scoring four goals in a single game has only been accomplished four times prior by a Bear: Tim Abeln vs. Baptist Bible College in 1981, Ken Robinson vs. Baptist Bible College in 1981, Matt Caution vs. Missouri Southern in 1993, and Chris Deal vs. Evansville in 2004. Shiraishi also became the first Division I player since 2023 to score four goals in a game.
Shiraishi kicked off the scoring with the first goal of the night in the 15th minute, assisted by senior Ollie Bate. Seattle found a way to score in the 20th minute to equalize with a goal by Yeider Zuluaga.
But the Bears finished off the second half in aggressive fashion. In the 42nd minute, an assist by sophomore Victor Wachowicz set Shiraishi up for his second goal of the night.
The powerful play by the Bears just kept setting the Japanese forward up for success again in the second half. In the 70th minute, sophomore Jared Harlock set Shiraishi up for a stunning hat trick.
Yet the Bears were not done yet, playing assertive, dominant soccer up until the final whistle. Senior Daniele Verdirosi assisted yet another spectacular goal produced by Shiraishi in the 82nd minute. With the 90 minutes up and the home crowd roaring, the Missouri State men's soccer team collected a thrilling win in its season opener.
"So many fans are here supporting us, I'm so happy to be back here… I just want to keep scoring more and more goals," Shiraishi stated.
The home crowd did not disappoint, with 620 visitors in attendance at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium.
"First off, a huge thank you to the fans out here tonight, the students, the football team, the baseball team, so many local people, it's an awesome night, and of course, we got a victory in three points and now we'll focus on Kansas City on Monday," Coach Michael Seabolt exclaimed.
The Bears hit the road for their next match on Monday, August 25th, at 7:30 p.m. to compete against the Kansas City Roos in Kansas City, Mo.
"Vibes one game at a time, focus on what we are trying to accomplish, and we're going to learn what we can from today, take the positives as well, and then get ready for the next game," Coach Seabolt stated.
#GoBears
