After two weeks of MVC action, Missouri State holds the spot atop the league standings. The Bears are 2-0-0 in league play (6 pts), while Loyola Chicago (1-0-1, 4 pts) sit two points behind Missouri State. Drake (1-1-0, 3 pts) and Bradley (1-1-0, 3 pts) occupy the third slot in the standings, while Evansville (0-1-1, 1 pt) and SIUE (0-2) round out the standings.
This week's conference slate is highlighted by six league matchups with a trio of contests on Wednesday and three more over the weekend.
Poll Position
Missouri State fell to No. 15 in the College Soccer News Top 30 poll and moved up to No. 15 in this week’s Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 poll following a win over Evansville.
Missouri State moved back in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 this week and is sitting No. 18 entering this week’s matches.
MVC in Regional Rankings
The MVC has three teams currently ranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches West Regional rankings released on Tuesday (Sept. 28). Missouri State sits No. 2 in the region behind Loyola Marymount, while Loyola Chicago sits 7th and Drake 9th.
BRAD: One Goal Decisions
Bradley continued its streak of one-goal games by earning a 4-3 win Saturday night at SIU Edwardsville. The Braves have played 12 consecutive regular-season games decided by no more than one goal, the second-longest run of one-goal games in program history.
DU: OT Loss
Drake fell to Loyola in overtime, 2-1. Although Loyola scored early in the match, TC Anderson found an opportunity to score in the 80th minute after he got past a Rambler center back. Anderson sent the match into overtime, but the Ramblers were able to get past the cluster of Bulldogs in the box to score a golden goal. The Bulldogs move to 4-2-0 on the season and head to Missouri State on Wed. Sept. 29.
UE: Youth Movement
Evansville has been known to play its young players early in their careers and it is no different this season. This season, the Aces have seen that early playing time pay off as four of the five goals scored by UE this season have been scored by underclassmen or players in their first season as an Ace. Sophomore Pablo Guillen leads the team with two goals, while newcomer Carlos Barcia and freshman Oliver Hald have each scored their first goal for Evansville this season.
LUC: Ender’s Game
Sophomore Lukas Ender found the back of the net with just over three minutes remaining in overtime to propel Loyola past Drake, 2-1, on Saturday night at Loyola Soccer Park. The seventh different Rambler to tally a goal this season, Ender’s goal sealed the Maroon & Gold’s first win in Missouri Valley Conference play this season. Since the start of the 2018 season, Loyola is 24-0-1 (.980) when it scores at least two goals.
MSU: Still Atop the Table
Missouri State’s lone game last week was a 2-1 win over Evansville. The victory moves the Bears’ overall record this season to 6-1 and keeps them undefeated in conference play. The win also marks MSU’s sixth-straight season going unbeaten in the first two games of conference play. The Bears, currently 2-0 in the MVC, have not lost one of their two first games since the 2015 season, when they were beaten by Creighton, who was No. 1 in the nation at the time of the matchup.
SIUE: Playing Tight Contests
SIUE tied its season high with three goals against Bradley Saturday. It is the third time this year the Cougars have scored three goals in a game. The Cougars also played another overtime game and now sit 1-1-2 in games that have gone extra time. SIUE is also no stranger to tight matches this season, sitting 1-5 in games decided by a single goal.
This week's Missouri Valley Conference Players of the Week are Bradley's Jack Douglas and Loyola Chicago's Lukas Ender.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jack Douglas, So., F, Bradley
Making the transition from Bradley’s back line to the top of the team’s attack, Douglas scored his second and third career goals Saturday night, helping the Braves rally for a 4-3, double overtime win at SIU Edwardsville … Douglas scored the equalizer in the 70th minute on a great individual effort, beating both his defender and the Cougars keeper to the ball, which had been cleared from Bradley’s defensive third, and scored from 22 yards out … Douglas then earned his first career game-winner in the 107th minute when he calmly collected a rebound six yards in front of the net and popped it up for a side volley and the walk-off tally.
Other Notable Performances: Fabian Becerra (LUC); Jack Denton (MSU)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lukas Ender, So., D, Loyola Chicago
Loyola sophomore defender Lukas Ender couldn’t have picked a better time to score his first collegiate goal in last Saturday’s thrilling 2-1 overtime triumph over Drake at Loyola Soccer Park. After seeing junior Marc Torrellas head off the bar in the 97th minute, the Kempten, Germany product headed the resulting rebound into the back of the net, setting off a wild celebration. Ender has been a fixture along the Loyola backline this season, playing in every minute of every game.
Other Notable Performances: TC Anderson (DU); Oliver Hald (UE); Lewis Green (MSU)