STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The No. 23 Missouri State men's soccer team claimed a convincing 3-1 victory against Big 10 school Penn State on the road on Monday afternoon. Senior Diego Real scored his first goal for the Bears to equalize in the first half, and classmate Fumiya Shiraishi found the back of the net twice in the second half to seal the deal.
Penn State (1-2-1) came out of the gates strong, piercing through the Missouri State defense and scoring the opening goal in the seventh minute.
However, the Bears (2-1) persevered and found an opening in the 38th minute. Real scored to equal the match, assisted by sophomore Fionn Mooney and freshman Bruno Cellerino.
"It felt amazing to score my first goal for the Bears, especially after a long wait as I made the move from NAIA to NCAA Division 1," stated Real after the match. "I am definitely very glad to have been able to score today, and most importantly happy to contribute in a great team win today."
The Bears amped up the aggression in the second half, and once again, the senior from Japan stepped up to the plate. In the 52nd minute, Shiraishi fired a shot into the goal from long range after an assist from classmate Adrián Esteban to help the Bears take the lead.
With only 4 minutes to spare, senior Will Lowry booted the ball downfield, and Shiraishi was right where he needed to be as Daniele Aracri crossed the ball and Shiraishi finished with a tap-in.
"It feels amazing to win the big game," Shiraishi said. "And I'm so happy that my scores contributed to the win for the Bears. I want to keep working hard for this team."
Coach Michael Seabolt was full of praise for his team after the match.
"We talked before the game about how we represent Missouri State. We represent the city of Springfield, and we represent the state of Missouri, and the guys did just that this afternoon. Great team effort, Fumi with two goals and Diego with his first goal for the Bears, and then an amazing performance from our captain, Alex Matthews, and the whole team."
"It's just a great team win, and we're proud to bring three points back to Springfield, and thank you to Penn State for playing the series. They were great hosts, and we look forward to hosting them in Springfield in 2026, offering the same wonderful hospitality when they come to town," Coach Seabolt further commented.
The No. 23 Missouri State Bears will host Central Arkansas at home at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 6:00 p.m. Admission to all home games is free all season.
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