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After two weeks of MVC action, Loyola holds a slight edge over Missouri State and Drake atop the league standings. The Ramblers are 2-1-1 in league play (7 pts), while Missouri State (2-0) and Drake (2-1) sit one point behind the Ramblers. Valparaiso occupies the fourth slot in the standings at 1-2 (3 pts), while Bradley (0-1-1, 1 pt) and Evansville (0-2) round out the standings.
This week's conference slate is highlighted by three league matchups. Valparaiso hosts Bradley on Tuesday evening, while Drake visits Bradley and Missouri State heads to Evansville on Saturday.
Polling
Missouri State continued to rise in the national rankings this week, appearing at No. 17 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll, No. 19 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Top 25 and No. 25 in the College Soccer News Top 30 poll.
Bears Remain Perfect
Missouri State extended its winning streak to seven games with a 4-0 win at Western Illinois Thursday. The Bears have opened their season with seven straight wins for the first time since the 1995 team went 7-0 to begin the season. The seven-game winning streak is Missouri State’s longest winning streak since 2017, matching the seven-game stretch that went from Sept. 13, 2017 to Oct. 7, 2017.
The Bears are one of four teams still sitting perfect in all of NCAA Division I, joining SMU, Navy and Virginia (Through Sept. 29).
Streak Snapped
Drake’s run of four-straight shutouts was snapped in their 2-1, double-overtime loss to Loyola on Sunday. Drake held opponents scoreless for 423:56, or just over seven hours of game time.
It’s Not Over
Loyola’s last three matches have resulted in overtime against conference foes Missouri State, Bradley and Drake, going 1-1-1. Missouri State forced overtime against the Ramblers and scored the winning goal shortly into the first overtime. On Wednesday, the Ramblers entered double overtime with Bradley and resulted in a scoreless draw. Loyola topped Drake on Sunday with a 2-1 win in yet another double overtime.
Aces vs. Ranked MVC Opponents
On Saturday, the Aces will face nationally ranked Missouri State at Arad McCutchan Stadium. The last ranked MVC opponent the Aces faced was 13th-ranked Loyola on October 15 when Evansville and the Ramblers battled to a 1-1 draw. The Aces haven’t lost to a ranked conference opponent at McCutchan since Nov. 3, 2012 against No. 16 Creighton.
Weather Alters Schedule
Sunday’s MVC matchup between Bradley and Valparaiso at Shea Stadium was cancelled in the 66th minute due to consistent lightning in the area. The match will be replayed from its beginning tonight with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Valparaiso. As part of The Valley’s double round-robin league schedule, the teams were slated to play the return game Oct. 27 at Valparaiso, but that game now will be played Oct. 27 at Bradley.
MVC in Regional Rankings
The MVC has three teams currently ranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches West Regional rankings released on Tuesday (Oct. 1). Missouri State sits No. 2 in the region, while Loyola is ranked 6th & Drake 9th.
National Team of the Week
Loyola’s Aidan Megally and Missouri State’s Ben Stroud earned a spot on this week’s 11-member College Soccer News Team of the Week. Megally scored twice including the game-winner in overtime in Loyola’s 2-1 win over Drake. Stroud scored twice and anchored a shutout in MSU’s 4-0 win over Western Illinois.
This week's Missouri Valley Conference Players of the Week are Loyola's Aidan Megally and Missouri State's Ben Stroud.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aidan Megally, Sr., M, Loyola
In Sunday’s 2-1 win over Drake, Loyola senior Aidan Megally tallied both goals, including the game winner in the second overtime. Megally has been an offensive force for Loyola all season with four goals, one assist and 10 shots on goal. The senior has already recorded 32 shots this season, which is on track to beat his personal bests in shots (35) and shots on goal (13).
Other Notable Performances: Leroy Enzugusi (DU); Josh Dolling (MSU)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ben Stroud, Sr., D, Missouri State
Ben Stroud anchored a Missouri State backline that recorded its fourth shutout of the season in a 4-0 win over Western Illinois on Thursday, Sept. 26. The senior defender joined the Bears’ attack to score a pair of goals to collect his first career brace. Stroud scored his first goal of the season in the 43rd minute on a header off of a Greg Stratton cross following an MSU free kick. He notched his second header in the 69th minute on a corner kick to extend the Bears’ lead to 3-0. Stroud launched a career-high four shots in a match that MSU tallied a season-high 21 shots.
Other Notable Performances: Liam Wilson (DU); Frederik Reimer (UE); Marcel Kampman (LUC)