Conway, Ark. –

The Central Arkansas men’s soccer team was unable to convert any of their chances on Saturday afternoon, falling to SIU-Edwardsville 1-0.

The Cougars (12-5-0, 4-2-0 MVC) got the match’s only goal in the 42^nd minute, when Benny Jeffrey sent a free kick into the Central Arkansas box, where Christian Volesky was able to head it home for his ninth goal this season.

The Bears (7-8-0, 1-4-0 MVC) outshot SIUE on the day, taking 11 shots, compared to the Cougars eight. SIUE edged UCA in shots on goal 5-4. The Bears were led by Taylor Hart, who placed two of his three shots on target, while SIUE was led by Volesky, who was also accurate on two of three shots. In goal for the Bears, Cody Gibson made four saves and allowed one goal. For the Cougars, Kent Kobernus made three saves, and SIUE also collected a team save.

Coach Ross Duncan acknowledged that the loss was a tough one, but said that the Bears needed to focus on the positives: “It was an inspiring performance, especially from the seniors. That’s a very good team and I felt like we had the momentum the whole match.” Duncan pointed out that the Bears, despite the result, were able to put consistent pressure on the Cougars, especially in the second half: “Once again, we stuck with our style and we used it to take a hold of the game, we just couldn’t fine the back of the net. That’s a problem that’s solved with persistence. All we can do is to keep going after it. Alex did a nice job inserting some energy at the forward position, giving Taylor some service. I though Michael Quinn had a very good day and Taylor was, once again, the most dangerous player on the field.”

The Bears close out the regular season on the road at Bradley next Saturday afternoon, a game that Duncan and the team are looking forward to. “Going to Bradley is a fun atmosphere. They’re an athletic, direct team. They’re going to be hard to prepare for, but it’s good to see them right before the playoffs.” By virtue of Missouri State’s 1-0 loss to Creighton on Saturday afternoon, the Bears ticket to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament was punched. The tournament is scheduled for November 7^th through 11^th, and will be hosted in Peoria, Illinois, by Bradley.