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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Brad Peters scored his league-leading 10th goal of the year, but Eastern Illinois men's soccer never led and saw its season come to an end Wednesday evening with a 4-1 loss to Missouri State in the opening round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

 

Peters tied the game in the 31st minute with his 33rd career goal, and third as a Panther in Valley Tournament play. He connected on a penalty kick after MSU's Will Ziegahn was whistled for a hand ball in the 18-yard box. Peters finished his career with three consecutive double-figure goal seasons.

 

The contest was played in driving rain. Evansville's Black Beauty Field held up as well as could be expected, but the field conditions were unpredictable nonetheless. The second game scheduled for Wednesday – Bradley vs. Evansville – was canceled due to poor field conditions.

 

“We couldn't make passes,” EIU head Adam Howarth said. “From the first minute we had to change our game plan a lot. It didn't help. Did it affect the outcome? I don't know; it's hard to say. It's unfair to these guys to play in that type of atmosphere where we had change things. It wasn't too bad at the beginning, but by the second half it was a lottery out there.”

 

Eastern Goalkeeper Mark Hansen, another senior, tied his season high with six saves to finish his career with 183.

 

Missouri State (7-9-4) opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a goal off a free kick and took the lead for good in the 37th minute. The Bears added second half goals in the 52nd and 71st minutes.

 

“Our Achilles heel [all season] just bit us really, really hard,” Howarth said. “Defensively, we just made too many mistakes. Offensively, we scored a goal and had numerous chances in and round the box. But if we defend like kindergartners, that's what is going to happen. And that was the story of the season.”

 

Justin Alford scored what proved to be the game-winner late in the first half and also accounted for his team's first goal after the intermission. The senior forward's two-goal effort matched what Peters accomplished against MSU in the Panthers' 2006 opening-round win.

 

Alex Harrison recorded EIU's best chance to tie the game. In the final seconds of the first half, the sophomore got free along the right flank but his blast from 15 yards out sailed just high of the crossbar.

The Panthers (5-11-3) will have to bid adieu to seven seniors, but are slated to return 16 letter-winners for the 2009 season.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID