MSU Bears Record Fifth Straight Shutout
DAYTON, Ohio - The Missouri State men's soccer team (4-0-2) concluded the Dayton Marriott Classic on Sunday (Sept. 9) with a double overtime scoreless draw against Green Bay (2-2-1), extending the Bears unbeaten streak to six games.
This year's 4-0-2 start rivals the 2005 Missouri State squad that began the season 8-0-2. In addition to starting the first six matches with an unblemished record, the Bears have also shut out five consecutive opponents. The only other time in program history this had been accomplished was during that 2005 campaign.
Green Bay is the first of eight matches against teams that finished in the top 100 of the final 2011 RPI rankings. The Phoenix finished 65th, just four spots below the Bears.
The Bears came out on the offensive early and had two straight shot attempts fromJared Gain and James Fawke that were pulled in by Phoenix goalkeeper Max Nimmo. Green Bay got in on the action and fired off two shots at Andrew Riggs, but was unsuccessful in both scoring opportunities. The game slowed down a bit heading into halftime as Missouri State led the shot battle, 6-5.
After the break, the Bears continued to bring the heat. Four different MSU players recorded shots on goal in the second half including Hayden Sander, Parker Maher, Cole Alexander and Jack Roberts. The Bears, however, couldn't find the right combination to put the ball in the back of the net. Dead even at the end of regulation, the two teams entered overtime looking for a few more scoring opportunities.
MSU and Green Bay traded shots in the first overtime period, but to no avail, the two teams came up empty. Only one shot was attempted in the final 10 minutes.
Overall, the Bears outshot the Phoenix 23-9 in the match, including 17-4 in the second half and overtime sessions. Gain and Maher led the Bears' offensive efforts with six shots apiece, along with Alexander who recorded four shots.
Missouri State will be on the road again, this time heading southwest to Albuquerque for the TLC Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Lobo Invitational, hosted by New Mexico. On Friday (5:30 p.m. CST), the Bears will square off with UC Irvine, who is currently ranked No. 11 in the nation, followed by a Sunday match at 11:30 a.m. CST against Dartmouth.
Dayton Marriott Classic All-Tournament Team
Andres Acevedo, Dayton
Cole Alexander, Missouri State
Jordan Collins, Eastern Illinois
Billy Donovan, Green Bay
Jared Gain, Missouri State
Ben Griffiths, Missouri State
John Howe, Dayton
Eddie Jones, Dayton
Ian McCausland, Eastern Illinois
Defrim Ramushevski, Green Bay
Co-MVP - James Fawke, Missouri State
Co-MVP - Abe Keller, Dayton
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