OPINION |
If you were a sports media member, there was no shortage of Missouri State-related events to attend on Thursday. Men’s and women’s basketball media day was held mid-afternoon and the “Battle for Bell” baseball game between MSU and Drury took place at Hammons Field in the evening.
But perhaps the shining athletic story of the school year took place under the lights at Betty and Bobby Allison Stadium South. The Missouri State women’s soccer program continued one of its best seasons in program history with a 2-0 victory over Southern Illinois.
The Bears improved to 11-1-5 overall and 6-0-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference. They have a shot at a regular-season championship entering the final regular-season game, on Sunday at Evansville.
How dominant has Missouri State soccer been? It hasn’t allowed a goal since Sept. 21, outsourcing the opposition 13-0 in eight games since. The latest victory clinches a top-two finish in the Valley and the Bears are in the running to play host to the semifinals and finals of the league tourney.
Finding their identity as a team
The foundation for this season was laid a year ago when Kirk Nelson became the head coach. After just missing the first regular-season Valley title in program history, the Bears won twice in the conference tournament to earn an NCAA Tournament berth. They lost 6-0 to Arkansas, but the seed was planted for 2023.
“Taking over last year, we were all about ‘What is our identity?’ Trying to set our core values, both what we expected off the field as well as on the field and setting that culture,” Nelson said. “This year was big on style of play and how we would inject that and start to build that.
“I think our culture is really strong and chemistry is really strong. That part of it is helping the on-field play.”
Commitment to defense paying dividends
The commitment to defense speaks for itself with the long shutout streak. Senior goalkeeper Camielle Day broke her own single-season shutout record Thursday with her 10th shutout, breaking the old mark of nine set by Jennifer Grocki in 2000 and Day in 2022. Day is a four-time Valley Defensive Player of the Week in 2023.
Having a rock in the net is an obvious strength, knowing that if the offense is able to produce, even a little, the team is probably going to win.
“It’s been fantastic,” Nelson said of Day’s play. “She has set the tone and set the bar real high for not just our team but other goalkeepers across the conference and beyond. I think our core — we have four goalkeepers — and they challenge each other day in and day out. They keep pushing her and that’s a big part of it, too.”
The game was well in hand Thursday night, but Nelson said it was still notable when Day stopped an SIU shot on goal — only its second of the game — with a minute remaining to preserve the latest shutout.
“Even that save at the end, to keep the shutout win when we were able to put a lot of players in and get them minutes, she still stayed strong and kept it to zero,” Nelson said.
For her part, Day said the shutout streak goes well beyond her part.
“It just goes to show how great our team is,” Day said. “The defensive line in front of me, the midfield line in front of them, the forwards and everybody on the bench … the more they do their job and do what they need to do, the easier it is on me. They have their own personal talents and we work together well.”
Focused on the job at hand
The Bears cannot win the regular season championship without some help. Drake (7-1-1 Valley) holds a one-point lead and it plays Sunday at Belmont as the Bears are at Evansville. Missouri State and Drake played to a scoreless tie earlier this season.
Nelson said he wants his team to focus solely on its own game and not what Drake does. The same goes for a possible rematch with Drake in the league tourney, which could determine the Valley’s rep for the NCAA Tournament.
“Last year we were in a position going into the final game to win the regular season for the first time in program history, playing at Illinois State,” Nelson said. “We lost 4-2 because I feel like myself — because I’m the guide for this team — looked past that game a little bit. I’m not making that mistake again.
“We’re focused on Sunday. We just guaranteed ourselves a top-two finish, so that gives us a couple of byes next week. Drake is playing very well and so it’s going to be a battle. We can’t look past any game.”
Men’s soccer continues to excel
The tradition of Missouri State men’s soccer excellence continues as coach Michael Seabolt’s team closes in on another Valley championship. The 10th-ranked Bears (8-1-3 overall, 4-0-1 Valley) have a big home showdown on Sunday with co-league-leader Western Michigan. Kickoff is 3 p.m. at Allison Stadium.
Gijs Hovius leads the Bears with four goals and 10 points, and Harry Townsend is having another outstanding season in goal, with seven shutouts and 20 saves. After the Western Michigan game, Missouri State closes out the regular season Oct. 27 at Bowling Green and Nov. 1 at home against Drake.
Baseball Bears look good
Missouri State’s baseball team looked sharp Thursday night in beating Drury 10-3 in the “Battle for Bell” game. Missouri transfer Dylan Leach and returning first baseman Cody Kelly both hit home runs and drove in four to lead the offense. Six Missouri State pitchers combined to strike out 11 and limit Drury to three hits.
The paid attendance for Thursday’s game was 1,216, with proceeds going to the Howard Bell ALS Clinic at CoxHealth, which provides coordinated care and support to ALS patients in the region. Bell died in 2013 from ALS and had connections to both the Missouri State and Drury programs.
Homecoming hoops and football
Before Missouri State’s homecoming football game at 2 p.m. Saturday against Murray State, fans get a chance to watch the basketball Bears and Lady Bears scrimmage in Great Southern Bank Arena. First up will be the Lady Bears at 10 a.m. with the men at 11.
