Game Notes
CHARLESTON, Ill. – As Eastern Illinois men's soccer heads out on its only southbound road trip of the regular season, the Panthers are search of their first-ever victory against Missouri Valley Conference rival Missouri State in Springfield.
Eastern (5-8-3, 0-3 MVC) has won each of the last two meetings with the Bears, knocking MSU out of the 2006 Valley Tournament in Peoria and winning last year's match-up in Charleston, 4-2. The tourney victory two seasons ago ended MSU's 12-game winning streak in the all-time series, which dates back 1989.
Not only have the Panthers never won at MSU, but they also haven't scored in Springfield since the 2002 campaign.
Missouri State (5-8-4, 2-1-1 MVC) has been one of the surprising teams in Valley play this year, posting wins at Evansville and Bradley and playing third-ranked Creighton to a scoreless draw. Back in September, the Bears also played Akron – ranked No. 2 in this week's NSCAA Top 25 – to a scoreless draw.
MSU goalkeeper Alex Riggs has played every minute of the season and leads the Valley with 82 saves, averaging more than five per game. He has won the last two MVC Defensive Player of the Week awards. When UMKC scored in the 76th minute Tuesday night, the goal ended Riggs' shutout streak at 371 consecutive minutes.
Though the Bears have scored a league-low 14 goals this season, 10 have come in month of October. Conversely, EIU ranks third in the Valley with 26 goals, but has scored just five times this month. The Panthers are no doubt glad to flip the calendar Saturday after an 0-6-2 October showing.
Brad Peters has scored twice in each of the last two EIU-MSU games. The senior's last goal came in the draw at Western Illinois on Oct. 8, a current five-game drought. Among other active EIU players,
Darby Kehoe and
Chris Pearson have also scored against Missouri State.
Mike Lewis (two),
Nick Bonacker,
Adam Gartner and Peters all registered an assist in last year's win.
Among common non-conference opponents, MSU has defeated Central Arkansas, lost to UMKC and played Valparaiso to a draw.
Saturday night's game is the Bears' MVC finale. Eastern and MSU could meet again in the opening round of the Valley Tournament, Nov. 12 in Evansville.
HOWARTH FAMILY WELCOMES A NEW MEMBER: Eastern head coach Adam Howarth and his wife Laura welcomed their third child into the world Tuesday, Oct. 28. The couple named the 7 lbs, 5 oz baby boy Simon. The moniker of choice keeps with the S-name theme in the Howarth home, as Sophie and Sebastian got a new brother this week.
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Ben Turner, Asst. SID
