With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, only nine league matches remain on the schedule as teams jockey for seeding for the upcoming MVC Tournament.  All six MVC teams will take part in the tournament with the quarterfinals taking place at the high seeds on Nov. 9 and the semifinals and championship at the top seed on Nov. 12th and 14th. 

(Tournament Info)

Missouri State (7-0-0 MVC) has already secured the No. 1 or 2 seed in the upcoming tournament, while Loyola (5-1-1 MVC) is one victory shy of clinching a top two seed.   The Bears are inching closer to locking up a third-straight regular season title and top seed and can do so with a single victory accompanied by a Loyola loss or draw in any of their three remaining matches.

Top of the Heap
Including the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons (as of Oct. 25), Missouri State leads all of NCAA Division I men’s soccer in win percentage at .904 ahead of Georgetown, New Hampshire, Washington and Marshall.

Top 5 NCAA Win Percentages since 2019
1. Missouri State            42-4-1 (.904)
2. Georgetown                43-4-5 (.875)
3. New Hampshire         36-3-6 (.867)
4. Washington                 41-9-0 (.820)
5. Marshall                     39-6-9 (.806)

Winning Streaks
Following its lone loss to Tulsa in the third game of the season, Missouri State has gone on a 10-game winning streak. Since that night on Sept. 3, the Bears are outscoring opponents, 20-5.   The win streak currently is the longest active win streak in the nation.  

The Bears have also strung together 11-straight wins at home, which ranks as the third longest active streak in the nation behind Pittsburgh and Grand Canyon. 

Current Active Win Streaks (NCAA)
    1.    Missouri State    10        
    2.    Saint Louis    8

Current Active Home Win Streaks (NCAA)
    1.    Pittsburgh            17
    2.    Grand Canyon    12
    3.    Missouri State    11

Impressive Stretch
Missouri State has won 24 of its last 25 Valley matches with the lone loss a 2-0 setback to Loyola on April 8, 2021. The impressive stretch is the best in the league since SMU went 26-1-2 in MVC play during the 2000-2002 seasons.
 
Elite Company
Missouri State enters the week with a .923 winning percentage, ranking third nationally.  The Bears (12-1-0) trail only Hew Hampshire (13-0-2, .933) and top ranked Georgetown (13-1-0, .929). 

High Scoring 'Blers
Since the start of the 2018 season, Loyola has a 28-0-1 record when it scores two goals or more.   Loyola has scored three or more goals in four of its last five matches with the lone exception at Missouri State (2-1 loss in OT).

BRAD: Consecutive Shutouts
By following Monday’s scoreless draw against Western Illinois with a 1-0 win Saturday against SIU Edwardsville, Bradley has posted consecutive shutouts for the first time since back-to-back clean sheets Oct. 23, 2019 (0-0 vs. Loyola Chicago) and Oct. 27, 2019 (1-0 vs. Valparaiso) … As the Braves prepare for Wednesday’s visit to Loyola Chicago, which leads The Valley by averaging 2.25 goals per game, Bradley has not posted three consecutive shutouts since a 3-game ride versus Loyola Chicago (1-0), Purdue Fort Wayne (3-0) and at DePaul (1-0) Sept. 13-20, 2017. 

DU: Look to Bounce Back
Drake fell to Loyola 3-0 over the weekend. Juan Louis and Bradan Allen attempted a number of scoring opportunities but were unable to find the net behind Loyola’s keeper. Drake keeper Jared Brown made a number of key saves that kept Loyola at only three goals.   

UE: Defense Improving
On Saturday night, Evansville dropped a 1-0 loss to No. 9 Missouri State at Arad McCutchan Stadium. Despite the loss, the scoreline showed an improved Evansville defensive effort that has evolved this season. In five of the Aces matches this fall, Evansville has held its opponent to one goal or less in five matches. Last season, the Aces only held their opponent to a goal or less twice.

LUC: Battle for the Bye
With Loyola’s 3-0 win over Drake this weekend, the No. 2 Ramblers now have a seven-point lead over the No. 3 Bulldogs in the MVC standings. This cushion gives Loyola the advantage heading into the final three games of the season. As long was the Ramblers win one of their final three games, they will secure the second-place seed for the conference tournament, resulting in a first-round bye. 

MSU: Record Breaker
Josh Dolling scored MSU’s game-winning goal against Evansville on Saturday, Oct. 23. The senior’s first goal of the season gives him the Missouri State men’s soccer record for game-winning goals, with 14.

SIUE: Another One Goal Game
SIUE played its 10th one goal game this year, falling 1-0 at Bradley Saturday.  The Cougars now sit 3-7 in one goal games this year.  SIUE finishes the home season with two games, Wednesday against Evansville and Sunday against Loyola.

Poll Position
Missouri State maintained its spot in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 this week and sits No. 9.   Missouri State sits No. 8 in the College Soccer News Top 30 poll and moved up to No. 8 in this week’s Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 poll.

MSU’s highest ranking came in the 2000 season with a No. 3 spot in the Sept. 11 United Soccer Coaches poll.

MVC in Regional Rankings
The MVC has two teams currently ranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches West Regional rankings released on Tuesday (Oct. 26).  Missouri State sits No. 1 in the region, while Loyola Chicago sits 7th.

RPI Update
According to Oct. 25 RPI Update from the NCAA, Missouri State sits 21st in the RPI with Loyola at No. 71.  The MVC ranks 13th as a conference. 

This week's Missouri Valley Conference Players of the Week are Loyola Chicago's Fabian Becerra and Bradley's Jake Schoffstall.

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Fabian Becerra, Sr., F, Loyola Chicago
Becerra could not be stopped on Saturday as the Ramblers took on Drake University. Of the three shots he put up, two of those resulted in a goal. Becerra’s first goal in the 62nd minute of Saturday’s game came off a deflection from the Bulldogs’ goalkeeper after Oscar Dueso attempted a shot. His second goal in the 82nd minute came off a pass from Billy Hency. These were his third and fourth goals of the season, which puts him tied for fifth in the conference rankings for goals scored this season.  

Other Notable Performances: Juan Louis (DU); Josh Dolling (MSU)

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jake Schoffstall, Fr., D, Bradley
Schoffstall played the full 90 minutes as an anchor to a back line that limited SIU Edwardsville to just one, non-threatening shot on goal and he headed home the game’s lone tally in the 77th minute, leading the Braves to a 1-0 Missouri Valley Conference home win Saturday night against the Cougars … While helping the Braves to their second consecutive shutout, Schoffstall also earned his third career goal and second game-winning tally of the season.
 
Other Notable Performances: Marcel Kampman (LUC); Connor Langan (MSU)