Sunday, November 13, 2016

No. 2 SIUE 1, No. 5 MISSOURI STATE 0
Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, MO – SIUE junior forward Devyn Jambga drove a long ball into the far post of the goal in the 36th minute for the game's only goal as the Cougars earned a 1-0 victory against host Missouri State in the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Championship Sunday afternoon at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium.

SIUE claims its second MVC Championship title and secured its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a member of the MVC. The Cougars were also in the field in 2014, also winning the MVC title with a 1-0 win over Missouri State.

Jambga won a loose ball just shy of midfield and dribbled through multiple Bear defenders before firing a strike from the top of the box beating MSU goalie Liam Priestley in the lower left corner of the goal.  The goal (36:23) was Jambga's team-leading sixth goal of the season.

Other than the goal from Jambga, the first half was played pretty evenly with the host Bears holding an advantage on shots, 3-1.  SIUE goalkeeper Kyle Dal Santo made the only save of the first half, stopping a shot from Emmerich Hoegg just over five minutes into the contest.

Missouri State continued to put the pressure on the Cougars in the second half, nearly scoring on a Jack Griffin shot off of a corner kick in the 61st minute.  SIUE goalkeeper Kyle Dal Santo made another great save to keep the contest scoreless.

The host Bears outshot the champion Cougars 7-1 overall in the contest. 

SIUE returns to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014 when the Cougars claimed a 1-0 win over Northwestern before dropping a 1-0 defeat to Cal.

The Cougars are riding a 12-match unbeaten streak and will find out their opening round opponent in the 2016 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship during the Division I Men's Soccer Selection Announcement on Monday, Nov. 14, at 12 PM (CST), on NCAA.com.

2016 MVC Men's Soccer All-Tournament Team
Richard Olson, Bradley
Wes Carson, Central Arkansas
Mueng Sunday, Drake
Ian McGrath, Evansville
Zac Blaydes, Evansville
Ryan Howe, Loyola
Kevin Engesser, Loyola
Rob Oslica, Missouri State
Jake Buckle, Missouri State
Emmerich Hoegg, Missouri State
Kyle Dal Santo, SIUE
Devyn Jambga, SIUE
Keegan McHugh, SIUE
MVP - Austin Ledbetter, SIUE