No. 22 Missouri State clinched the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title with its 1-0 win over Evansville this afternoon, marking the third regular-season crown for the Bears, having won it previously in 1999 and 1997.  The win is the Bears seventh straight, the longest winning streak for Missouri State since 2004.  Drake moved into sole possession of second-place in the league standings with a 4-1 victory over Eastern Illinois, behind a pair of second-half goals from senior Garrett Webb.

No. 22 Missouri State 1, Evansville 0
MSU (12-3-2, 7-1-1 MVC); UE (10-7-1, 4-4-1 MVC)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The 22nd-ranked Missouri State men's soccer team (12-3-2, 7-1-1) clinched the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title with its 1-0 win over Evansville (10-7-1, 4-4-1) at Plaster Field this afternoon.  It is the third regular season title for the Bears, having won it in 1999 and 1997.  The win is the Bears seventh straight, the longest winning streak since 2004.

Sophomore Jordan Hoffman tallied his third goal of the season on a header in the 82nd minute to put the Bears ahead.  Johannes Demarzi registered his conference-leading 10th assist of the season as his corner kick found Hoffman open on the back post.  Only three other players in the nation have more assists than Demarzi.

Hoffman's goal was one of the Bears' seven shots in the match.  David Buckenheimer and Edin Sabic each tallied two shots to lead Missouri State in the category. 

Bears' keeper Alex Riggs had to make one save to preserve the shutout.  Riggs now has eight shutouts this season, the second highest season total in school history.


Drake 4, Eastern Illinois 1
DU (11-6-1, 6-3 MVC); EIU (6-8-3, 2-6-1 MVC)

CHARLESTON, Ill. - A pair of second-half goals from senior Garrett Webb lifted the Drake men's soccer team to a 4-1 victory over Eastern Illinois on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs enter their regular season finale against Creighton on Saturday with a record of 11-6-1 overall, including 6-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while the Panthers saw their ledger drop to 6-8-3 on the year and 2-6-1 in league play.

Sophomore Hunter Kennedy broke a scoreless tie in the 44th minute (43:06) capitalizing off a misplay by Eastern Illinois goalkeeper Sean Molony for his third goal of the season providing Drake a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Webb extended the margin to 2-0 in favor of the Bulldogs at the 52:50 mark with his sixth goal on the campaign on a shot from right to left across the box off an assist by junior Matt Kuhn.

Less than two minutes later (54:27), Webb again found the back of the net to push Drake's lead to 3-0 turning a Molony miscue into his seventh goal of the year.

Jerry Maddi cut the deficit to 3-1 in the 68th minute (67:26) netting his second tally on the campaign for the Panthers.

Sophpmore Charles Schwartz capped the Bulldogs' scoring output recording his first tally of the season at the 84:33 mark.  Earning the assist on the play was senior Luke Gorczyca.

Drake outshot Eastern Illinois, 21-15, led by three shots apiece from Webb, Kennedy and senior Kevin Shrout.  Kyle Bullock and Grey Genenbacher paced the Panthers with three shots each.

The Bulldogs' scoring output allowed Holmes to play 19 players and more importantly rest some of his starters down the stretch.

Junior goalkeeper Michael Drozd pulled in six saves for the Bulldogs, while the combination of Moloney and Shailer Thomas recorded seven stops for Eastern Illinois.