Jesus Barea carries Missouri State:
Missouri State senior Jesus Barea showed no signs of slowing down, tallying three more goals this week. The forward from Spain now ranks third in the country for total goals (six) and second for goals per game (1.50). Barea scored in five consecutive games and has been credited with six out of seven Missouri goals, earning the assist on the seventh. He officially tied his career-high goal total from last season with conference play yet to come.
“I’m going to keep going and nobody is going to stop me,” Barea said. “I’m aiming for the moon.”
One of Barea’s goals proved to be the game-winner in a 1-0 victory over Tulsa. His other two came in Missouri State’s 2-3 loss to Kansas City, where the Bears conceded three headers.
“We’ve got to defend better and defend our box better,” Missouri State head coach Michael Seabolt said after the loss. “That’s all there is to it.”
Western Michigan extends unbeaten streak, stays nationally ranked:
With three victories this week, Western Michigan extended its winning streak to 27 games and moved to No. 4 in the TopDrawerSoccer rankings. The Broncos tallied 11 goals this week and outscored their opponents 16-4 this season. WMU started the week with a 5-1 win over Villanova during their Labor Day Soccer Fest, matching this scoreline against Air Force later in the week. The Broncos also recorded their third Top 15 victory of the season, edging No. 9 Northwestern 1-0, thanks to a goal by junior midfielder Carson Hodgson.
Graduate midfielder and Oakland transfer Owen Smith has been a valuable addition to the Broncos, contributing six assists and two goals this season. Smith now has 10 points and is ranked No. 1 in the country for total assists.
“These Broncos are showing a great amount of toughness early in the season,” Head Coach Chad Wiseman said. “We’re forming an identity and continue to be very difficult to play against.”
Lindenwood ruins Evansville’s win:
Evansville started the week strong, managing a 1-0 result over Eastern Illinois, only allowing one shot on goal the entire match, which came in the second minute. The Aces recorded 11 shots on goal, with fifth-year forward Kai Phillip capitalizing in the 49’ for the game-winner. Evansville road their 4-0 record into the next game against 0-2-1 Lindenwood. Two own goals and a penalty kick were enough for Lindenwood to take the 3-2 victory, earning their first win of the season and handing Evansville their first loss. Evansville senior forward Nacho Diaz Barragan remains in second place in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) for goals and points but has been unable to find the back of the net in the Ace’s last two competitions.
Drake plays with 10 men, improve record with two wins:
Drake began the week with a record of 1-2-0, looking to find a way back into the win column. The Bulldogs faced DePaul early in the week, outscoring the Blue Demons 2-1 in an aggressive matchup featuring 12 yellow cards, and a 61’ red card for graduate defender Austin Holtebeck that left the Bulldogs with 10 men while trailing 0-1. Drake was able to bury two goals following the sendoff, including a Damian Segura penalty kick that secured the win. Drake followed this up with a 1-0 result against Houston Christian and entered this week with a record of 3-2-0.
NIU unable to complete comeback in fourth loss of the season:
Northern Illinois fell behind Kansas City early in the match on Friday night, with the Roos scoring three goals in a four-minute span. The Huskies nearly managed a comeback with two goals of their own, but Kansas scored once again before the half, making it 4-2. Roos put the game away with two more goals in the second half, defeating NIU 6-2.
Bradley’s second-half struggle:
Bradley started strong in their battle against host Xavier, finding goals in the 25’ and 52’. Xavier scored soon after in the 54’, cutting the Braves’ lead in half. An intense second half featured five yellow cards and 26 fouls and junior goalkeeper Drew Berry’s five saves were enough until the Musketeers found an 83’ equalizer. This goal would finalize the scoring and Bradley left Cincinnati with a hard-earned point.
