SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State men’s soccer (4-2) extended its winning streak to three matches Sunday night with a bludgeoning 1-0 victory over the Bradley Braves (3-3-1) to open conference play. Senior forward James Jennings broke the seal in the 79th minute with a strike in the left side of the net with assists from sophomore defender Mattia Petricca and senior forward Dion Ruffo Luci.
The Bears put up a season-high 18 shots and outshot the Braves 12-0 in the second half. The Braves were held to a season-low two shots.
“Full respect to Bradley,” head coach Michael Seabolt said. “They gave us a great game and made it really tough for us. This is a great way to start the Valley campaign.”
Each team spent the first portion of the match getting a feel for each other. Senior forward Jesus Barea took the first shot in the 13th minute, which was saved by Bradley goalkeeper Drew Berry. Barea, the nation’s leading scorer with eight goals, led the way with seven shots and six shots on goal. Berry made seven saves for the Braves.
The intensity picked up late in the first half with Bradley getting dealt two yellow cards before the scoreless half ended, a trend that continued after the teams returned from the locker room. Bradley committed 17 fouls on the night after entering the match with the weekend with the third-most in the nation.
The match reached a boiling point in the 56th minute when Bradley midfielder Joao Saraiva was dealt a yellow card on a foul, which elevated to a red. The Braves played shorthanded for the rest of the match. Eight of Missouri State’s shots came with a player number advantage in the final 35 minutes.
“Credit to the guys for continuing to push,” Associate head coach Danny Frid said. “Credit to the guys who didn’t start the game. They stayed positive and added a ton to the group.”
Missouri State’s final shot was the back-breaker. Jennings lifted his left foot in the air for his first goal of the season. The score comes nearly one year after his last goal against Belmont on Sept. 22, 2023.
“He’s been unbelievable,” Frid said. “He traditionally started a lot of games in the past but just adds so much quality coming on. We’re really happy for him getting his goal.”
Senior goalkeeper Will Lowry made his first career start at net after coming in relief in Missouri State’s previous match against Central Arkansas. Lowry made his first save in the 14th minute and the defense held strong the rest of the way for his first career clean sheet.
The Bears have allowed just two shots on goal in the previous three matches of this winning streak.
“There’s a lot of firsts for Will, but it’s been a long time,” Frid said. “Will’s worked really hard. I’ve been here 18 months and I’ve seen nothing but really hard work. Super happy for him. I’m not surprised that he did keep a clean sheet and that he was super confident because that’s what he’s been doing every day.”
The Bears will have nearly a week off before beginning a three-match stint away from home on Saturday, Sept. 21 against UIC. The Flames (4-3) defeated Marquette on Sunday, 2-0. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
