Conway – The Central Arkansas men's soccer team is set for a pair of matches on the road this week. The Bears will step out of Missouri Valley Conference play tonight, battling the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles at 7:00 PM, before travelling to Springfield, Missouri to take on the maroon Bears of Missouri State at 7:00 PM on Saturday evening.

After opening the season with a pair of shutout victories, Central Arkansas (2-5-1, 0-2-0 MVC) is looking to get back in the win column and snap a six match winless streak. Most recently, the Bears played host to #12 Loyola Chicago at the Bill Stephens Complex, falling 3-1. Senior Wes Carson scored UCA's lone goal, redirecting a cross from freshman Krystian Sarzynski in the 74^th minute.

On the season, UCA ranks second in the MVC in points per game (5.00) and goals per game (1.75) offensively, and sit fifth in the league in goals allowed per game (1.47) on the defensive front. Individually, freshman Niklas Brodacki leads the Valley in total points behind a league-best six goals, while Carson is tied for fifth and sophomore Chris Holmes is tied for tenth. Sophomore Daltyn Knutson is tied for seventh in the league with a pair of assists. In goal, freshman Marc Olsen is second in the Valley in saves per game (4.12), fourth in save percentage (.733), and fifth in goals against average (1.43).

Oral Roberts (4-5-1, 1-1-0 Summit) is coming off of a 3-1 loss to Summit League opponent Fort Wayne. ORU averages 1.50 goals per game while surrendering 1.9 goals per game to its opponents. Junior Santiago Riveros leads the way for the Golden Eagles, leading the Summit and ranking seventh nationally with six assists while adding five goals. In goal, freshman Parker Johnson has made 32 saves, good for a .667 percentage, and allowed 1.75 goals per game. Central Arkansas will look to even the all-time series on Tuesday night, as it currently sits at 7-6-1 in favor of the Golden Eagles. Last season, the teams played to a scoreless draw in Conway before ORU won 6-3 in Tulsa.

"Tonight's match should be a competitive non-conference battle," said UCA head coach Ross Duncan. "We know each other well. It's a mid-week game, and both of us are coming off of difficult games this weekend, so it will be more about who has recovered and prepared the best. We expect our guys to compete well. We are a fit and committed team who is hungry for a win."

Missouri State (5-3-1, 2-0-0 MVC) scored a 1-0 win over MVC opponent Evansville on Saturday, thanks to an 83^rd-minute strike from freshman Mitch Langton. The maroon Bears score just 0.89 goals per game this season, a figure tied for fifth in the Valley, but that's more than enough offense, as they lead the conference by allowing just 0.65 goals per game.  Senior Emmerich Hoegg leads the MSU attack with a pair of goals, while junior Scott Midgley and sophomore Jake Buckle each have two assists. In goal, junior Liam Priestley leads the Valley in GAA (0.65) and shutous (4), while ranking third in save percentage (.760).  The maroon Bears hold an 8-2-1 lead in the all-time series, thanks to a 3-0 win in Springfield last season.

"Missouri State is a team that we will see twice this year," said Duncan of the maroon Bears. "Adding the extra conference games gives us a stronger conference schedule and allows us to promote the rivalries. We've already played at their field this year, and will be going up there with some confidence. They are off to a good start in conference play, but every game in the MVC is tight and competitive. We expect a strong group from them but we will be bringing a strong group up to Springfield to meet them."