Conway, Ark. –

The Central Arkansas Men’s Soccer program put a halt to its five-game losing streak on Wednesday afternoon, downing Missouri Valley foe Missouri State 1-0. The victory is Central Arkansas’ first MVC win this season.

The Bears (7-6-0, 1-2-0 MVC) controlled the game from the first whistle, taking 18 shots on the day and placing six of those on goal. Missouri State (5-6-3, 0-4-0 MVC) took four shots during the match, but Matt Bray was the only MSU player to place a shot on frame. Despite constant pressure from UCA, the game remained scoreless until the 67^th minute, when Daniel Sampedro dribbled down the right edge of the box and lofted a beautiful cross to Manuel Montal, who headed the ball into the bottom left corner of the net for his fourth goal of the season.

The goal would prove to be all that Central Arkansas needed on the day, as they were able to combine their offensive pressure with a stifling defense that prevented Missouri State from getting very many good looks. “We knew what we were going to see, and Jaden Hoth and our defense were prepared for it,” said Coach Ross Duncan following the win. “I credit [assistant coaches] Ryan and Mike: the scout was spot-on and they helped up have the group ready for the game. They’ve been great all year at preparing for opponents and it’s great to reward the boys with a victory.”

The Bears got offense from seemingly everywhere on Wednesday, seeing five different players take multiple shots, and a total of seven players get a shot off, prompting Duncan to state, “I thought we were dangerous in the attack. Missouri State is a really tough team to break down; they’ve got a tough back line and a good keeper. So it took us quite a while to get one, but I thought it was a just reward for the work we put in this week.” Taylor Hart led the Bears with six shots, three of which were on goal. Montal placed both of his shots on target, and Zac Burns added a shot on goal as well.

The win was an important one for Central Arkansas. Not only was it their first MVC win of the season, but it also put the Bears ahead of Missouri State in the standings, granting them some control over their postseason prospects. Duncan was well aware of the significance of the victory. “It was a great game to get back on track with,” he said, “it was against an opponent we knew well, and we’ve struggled against in the past. We can take some confidence from this game. I think we’ve also got some renewed belief in ourselves for this season; now we control our own destiny.”

The Bears look to keep the wins coming on Friday night, travelling to Evansville, Indiana to square off against the Evansville Aces. The game should be an interesting one, as the teams match up fairly evenly. “We match up well with Evansville, as far as style of play, so it’s going to come down to who is sharper on the night, because there isn’t a lot between us,” said Duncan of the match. Central Arkansas returns home on October 27^th, battling SIU-Edwardsville on Senior Day.