Road Trip Starts at Undefeated Missouri State

Bradley Soccer will carry its 3-game unbeaten streak into a 3-game road trip, which begins Wednesday night at nationally-ranked Missouri State

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Soccer 10/8/2019 10:58:00 AM

SPRINGFIELD, MO – First place in the mid-season Missouri Valley Conference standings will be on the line when Bradley (3-3-3, 2-1-1 MVC) visits #17 Missouri State (9-0-0, 3-0-0) Wednesday night at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium. The Braves will carry a 3-game unbeaten streak into Wednesday's game, while Missouri State enters as one of the nation's three remaining unbeaten and untied teams.

GAME DAY DETAILS
Bradley (3-3-3, 2-1-1 MVC) at #17 Missouri State (9-0-0, 3-0-0 MVC)
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: Springfield, MO | Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium
Tickets: Free Admission
TV: The Valley on ESPN | ESPN3
Live Stats: missouristatebears.com

OPENING KICKS
• For the fifth time in six games, Bradley Soccer hits the road as the Braves prepare for a Wednesday night Missouri Valley Conference clash against Missouri State.
• While the Braves look to extend their unbeaten streak to four games, Missouri State (9-0-0) joins Navy (11-0-0) and Virginia (10-0-0) as one of the three remaining unbeaten and untied teams in the nation.
• First place in The Valley standings will be on the line Wednesday night: Missouri State sits atop the league table with nine points, two ahead of both Bradley and Loyola Chicago.
• Wednesday's game also features the top two defensive teams in The Valley.
• Wednesday's matchup features the two winningest coaches in Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer history: Bradley's Jim DeRose boasts 245 career wins in his 24th year at Bradley, second only to Missouri State's Jon Leamy, who enters the game with 262 wins in his 28th year with the Bears.

DOUBLE ROUND ROBIN
• Wednesday's matchup at Missouri State will be the first of two games against the Bears this season as part of the Missouri Valley Conference's new double, round-robin league schedule format.
• Each of the league's six men's soccer members will play a home-and-home series against one another, creating a 10-game regular-season conference table.
• The 2009 season is the only other year in Valley men's soccer history to feature a full, double round-robin schedule format.
• Missouri State will visit Shea Stadium Oct. 19.

NO REST
• Bradley originally was scheduled for a bit of a break between games without a midweek on the schedule last week, but plans changed when the Sept. 29 game versus Valparaiso was abandoned in the 66th minute due to persistent lightning in the area.
• The game was rescheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 1 at Valparaiso, officially extending Bradley's road swing to four consecutive games and setting up an 8-game stretch puts the Braves on the road seven times.
• The current 8-game stretch is the first since 1990 that has Bradley away from home at least seven times.
• Starting Wednesday, Sept. 25 at Loyola Chicago, Bradley is playing a midweek game in five consecutive weeks.
• Wednesday's game at Missouri State has the Braves on the road three times in a 7-day stretch: Wednesday at Missouri State, Sunday at Evansville and Tuesday at Omaha.
• The Braves will cover 2,098 miles, round trip, during the upcoming 3-game road swing.

NATIONALLY-RANKED VALLEY RIVAL
• Wednesday's game against the Bears will be Bradley's first against a nationally-ranked opponent since a 2-1 loss Sept. 10, 2017 at #17 Omaha.
• The Braves are 20-46-7 all-time against top 25 teams and Bradley is looking for its first win against a nationally-ranked team in five tries since its 3-2, overtime win at #3 Northwestern Oct. 2, 2013.
• The Braves are seeking their first win against a nationally-ranked Valley rival since knocking off #12 Creighton, 3-2, in the semifinals of the 2010 MVC Tournament at Shea Stadium.
• Bradley also dealt then-No. 10 Creighton a 2-1 defeat Nov. 6, 2010 for its last road win against a nationally-ranked Valley opponent.

SERIES HISTORY
37th Meeting • Missouri State leads 23-9-4
Missouri State leads at home, 12-4-2 • Missouri State has won three straight
• The Bradley and Missouri State men's soccer teams will meet for the 37th time on the pitch Wednesday night when the Braves visit Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium.
• The Braves will be looking to halt a 3-game losing streak to the Bears, which has allowed Missouri State to increase its lead in the all-time series to 23-9-4.
• The series dates back to Missouri State's 2-0 victory Sept. 24, 1988 at Peoria Notre Dame High School during Bradley's second year as a NCAA Division I program.
• Missouri State is 12-4-2 all-time at home against Bradley, including 3-0-0 record against the Braves at Allison South Stadium.
• In his 24th year as Bradley head coach, Jim DeRose is 8-16-4 (.357) against Missouri State, while Bears head coach Jon Leamy is 19-9-4 against the Braves.

DEFENSE REMAINS STOUT
• Through the season's first nine games, Bradley leads The Valley by allowing the opposition only a .281 shots-on-goal percentage - of the 114 shots allowed, only 32 have been on target.
• Bradley has never finished a season with an opponent shots-on-goal-percentage below .340 (2005).
• The Braves rank second in The Valley with a 0.81 goals against average.
• Missouri State leads The Valley and ranks fourth nationally with a 0.324 goals against average and the Bears have allowed just 56 total shots through their first nine games (6.22 shots allowed per game).

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