This week marks the final week of Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play, with tournament play kicking off on Sunday.
The six teams with tickets to the tournament are Missouri State, Drake, Bowling Green, Evansville, Western Michigan and the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC).
Although all six spots in the playoffs have been clinched, first place remains a toss-up between Missouri State and Drake.
Let’s take a look at some results from this past Friday.
Bowling Green achieves massive upset against No. 14 Western Michigan
Bowling Green (10-4-2, 4-3-1) hosted No. 14 Western Michigan (9-1-6, 2-1-4), the only undefeated team left in NCAA Division I. Prior to the matchup, the Broncos had a 37-game unbeaten streak, the longest in NCAA history.
27 wins and 10 ties later, the Falcons would snap the historic run on their home field. BGSU’s first goal came in the 34th minute off a free kick by senior captain midfielder Alberto Anaya.
Junior forward Trace Terry doubled the lead in the 79th minute, blasting the ball past two Bronco defenders and into the net. In the final minutes, sophomore forward Bennett Painter made the score 3-0, securing the win for the Falcons.
“Congratulations to Bowling Green,” said WMU head coach Chad Wiseman. “They beat us in all phases of the game tonight. They are very deserving of the result.”
Terry and Painter netted their 11th goals of the season against Western Michigan, both tied for 12th nationally in total goals. Although he took a goal-scoring role on Friday, Anaya is tied for 10th nationally in total assists.
Bowling Green has concluded conference play and faces Oregon State on Wednesday. The Falcons are guaranteed a third or fourth-place finish in the MVC and will host their quarterfinal matchup.
Western Michigan rounds out their conference slate on Wednesday against UIC at 2:30 pm EST. The Broncos must win for a chance at a fourth-place finish and a home quarterfinals game.
UIC clinches last playoff spot with win against Bradley
UIC (7-8-0, 3-4-0) and Bradley (4-8-3, 1-5-1) faced off in a crucial conference matchup.
Redshirt junior forward Brian Perez kicked off the scoring in the 60th minute, and redshirt senior forward Bart Muns followed in the 73rd minute, marking Muns’ team-leading sixth goal of the season.
Although Bradley outshot UIC 15-14, with eight shots on goal to UIC’s five, the Braves were unable to capitalize. UIC graduate goalkeeper Oren Asher made a season-high eight saves on Friday, preserving the Flames’ shutout.
UIC snagged the final spot in the MVC postseason tournament with this result. The Flames currently stand in sixth place but could move into fifth with a win over Western Michigan on Friday.
Six goal-scorers lift No. 17 Missouri State over Evansville
Evansville (8-6-2, 4-3-0) took on No. 17 Missouri State (11-2-2, 6-0-1), fighting for a chance at first place.
Redshirt freshman midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi scored first for the Aces, but their lead didn’t last long.
Redshirt senior forward James Jennings equalized in the 34th minute, sparking a slew of goals from the Bears. Although the first half ended 1-1, MoState netted five more goals before the final whistle.
This result snapped Evansville’s five-game unbeaten streak and extended Missouri’s to 12. The Bears also raised their goal differential to 23 and tied for seventh nationally with Western Michigan.
With this loss, Evansville lost their chance at a first-place finish but will take third if they win against Belmont on Wednesday. Missouri State currently leads the conference but plays Drake on Wednesday in a “winner-takes-all” showdown.
Drake squeezes past Northern Illinois to remain unbeaten in MVC
Drake (9-3-3, 5-0-2) traveled to play NIU (3-12-0, 1-6-0) in their final road test of the regular season.
The Huskies struck first with a 13th-minute goal by junior midfielder Jose Gomez. Drake responded in the 17th minute, later scoring two more goals to pull ahead 3-1.
The Huskies kept battling, scoring again in the 83rd minute but were unable to complete the comeback.
Drake stands second in the conference and rounds out conference play with a game against Missouri State on Wednesday. The winner of the competition will finish in first place in the MVC, while a tie will keep the Bears on top.
