Final Update:
Creighton maintained its top defensive form in the championship match of the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Championship, blanking third seed Missouri State, 1-0, to win its 11th MVC Tournament title and earn the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. With the automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, the Bluejays extend their streak of consecutive NCAA bids to 17 years. 

All-Tournament Team
Andrei Gotsmanov, Creighton (MVP)
Chris Schuler, Creighton
Brian Holt, Creighton
Ethan Finlay, Creighton
Alex Riggs, Missouri State
Justin Alford, Missouri State
Kenny Boutsabouabane, Missouri State
Kenan Malicevic, Drake
Brian Wurst, Drake
Grant Campbell, Bradley
Travis English, Bradley
Robby Lynch, Evansville
Adam Gartner, Eastern Illinois

Semifinal Update: 
Top seed Creighton controlled the run of play in the second semifinal of the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Soccer Championship and posted a 2-0 win over No. 5 Bradley. The Bluejays advance to their 14th MVC Tournament final against No. 3 seed Missouri State, which advanced, 4-1, on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw with No. 2 Drake. The final will be the third meeting between the two sides for the MVC Championship. Sunday’s championship match will air live from Black Beauty Field in Evansville, Ind., on Fox Sports Midwest at 1 p.m.

Championship Tidbits:
Top Dogs
The results have been top-heavy at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Soccer Championship, with the top two seeds taking the championship and the automatic berth into the NCAA Championship 16 times in 17 tournaments.

Host With(out) the Most
From 1991-94, MVC Tournament hosts reaped the rewards of the home field advantage, claiming the tournament title. Since then, no host has won the championship. The host has been the runner-up six times.

RPI Top 20
The Missouri Valley Conference is one of just five conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big West) to boast two teams in the latest NCAA RPI Top 20 (11/10 RPI release, Creighton - 10, Drake - 19).

Final Appearances:
Creighton has appeared in more MVC Tournament finals than any other league program. The Bluejays have played for the automatic berth 13 times previously (1992, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 00, 01, 02, 05, 06, 07) and boast a 10-3 record in championship matches.  Missouri State has made three trips to the championship game (1997, 98, 99) and has a 1-2 record. Creighton and Missouri State have played each other in two MVC Championship matches, with Creighton winning both (1997 & 1998)

History?
Missouri State can be the first team in MVC history to win the conference championship after entering the final match with a losing record. Just one other team (Illinois State, 1991) has made it to the championship match of the MVC Tournament with a losing record.

Day Two Update:
The rain stayed away and No. 4 Evansville and No. 5 Bradley combined for 46 shots, none of which found the back of the net in a 0-0 tie in the delayed second match of the opening round at the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Soccer Championship. Bradley ultimately advanced into its 11th-straight MVC Tournament semifinal with a 5-4 penalty kick decision after two scoreless overtime sessions. Bradley goalkeeper Drew Van Kampen made 10 saves ? the fourth-most ever in an MVC Tournament game. The 0-0 tie was the third scoreless draw in tournament history. The Braves advance into Friday’s second semifinal match against top-seed Creighton at 7:30 p.m.

Day One Update:
Heavy, sustained rains in the Evansville area have postponed the second match of the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Soccer Championship between No. 4 Evansville and No. 5 Bradley. The match has been rescheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. In the opening match of the championship, third-seeded Missouri State posted a 4-1 win over Eastern Illinois to advance into the semifinals against No. 2 Drake.

 

2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Championship Schedule
Wednesday/Friday/Sunday * November 12, 14, 16 * Black Beauty Field * Evansville, host
Wednesday, November 12 * First Round
Game 1: No. 3 Missouri State 4, No. 6 Eastern Illinois 1
Game 2: No. 4 Evansville 0, No. 5 Bradley 0 (BU, 5-4 PK)
Friday, November 14 * Semifinals
Game 3: No. 2 Drake 1, No. 3 Missouri State 1 (MSU, 4-1 PK)
Game 4: No. 1 Creighton 2, No. 5 Bradley 0
Sunday, November 16 * Final
Game 5: No. 1 Creighton 1, No. 3 Missouri State 0