Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play concluded following Wednesday’s matchups, and the tournament stage is set.
The six teams that qualified for playoffs are Missouri State (22 points), Drake (17), Bowling Green (13), Western Michigan (13), Evansville (13), and University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC)(nine).
The three-way tie between BGSU, WMU, and Evansville was settled through a multi-step tiebreaker. As each team was 1-1-0 within the pool, a conference-only goal differential was considered.
Bowling Green clinched third place with a +3 goal differential compared to Western Michigan (even) and Evansville (-1). The Broncos took third, winning the head-to-head against the Aces.
Finishing in first and second place respectively, Missouri State and Drake earned a quarterfinals bye.
The remaining teams will begin tournament play on Sunday.
QUARTERFINALS MATCHUPS:
No. 5 Evansville at No. 4 Western Michigan:
Higher-seeded Western Michigan hosted Evansville on Sunday at 11 am ET. The two sides last met on Sept. 22, when the Broncos won 2-1.
Evansville concluded regular season play with a 2-2 draw against Belmont. A 16’ goal by senior forward Nacho Diaz Barragan was answered by Belmont, keeping the scoreline level at half. Diaz Barragan found a second goal in the 56’, but the Bruins equalized once again.
Western Michigan rounded out conference play with a 2-1 victory over UIC. Sophomore midfielder Noah James scored first in the 39’, maintaining the lead at the break.
UIC managed to find a 75’ equalizer, but redshirt freshman defender Christian Shannon netted the game-winning goal six minutes later.
“A sign of a good team is how you respond when being knocked down, and I thought today’s performance was exactly what the staff expected,” stated WMU head coach Chad Wiseman.
Graduate midfielder Owen Smith tallied his 14th assist against the Flames, leading NCAA Division I in total assists.
Although the Broncos’ 37-game unbeaten streak was ended by Bowling Green last week, they ride a 23-game unbeaten streak at home. The team currently ranks No. 23 in the UnitedSoccerCoaches Top 25.
No. 6 UIC at No. 3 Bowling Green
Higher-seeded Bowling Green hosts UIC on Sunday at 7 pm ET. The two teams last played on Oct. 5, UIC winning 2-1.
UIC faced Western Michigan in their final conference matchup, falling 1-2. Sophomore midfielder Darrell Turcios was credited with the Flames’ lone goal.
Bowling Green faced non-conference opponent Oregon State in their regular-season finale, losing 1-3. Sophomore forward Bennett Painter opened scoring in the 14’, giving the Falcons the lead.
Oregon State responded with two goals before the break, two and a half minutes apart, adding a third goal in the second half.
Painter’s goal was his 12th of the season, ranking second in the MVC and within the Top 15 nationally. Painter and junior teammate Trace Terry have scored 23 goals together, while the Flames have scored 24 goals total.
WHATS NEXT?
The winning team in each matchup will move on to the semifinals on Wednesday at Missouri State.
Brackets will be reseeded following Sunday’s games, and the lowest remaining seed will face No. 1 Missouri State. The remaining team will face No. 2 Drake.
The winners of the semifinal matches will play in the MVC championship game on Saturday, Nov. 16.
