Springfield, Missouri – The Central Arkansas men's soccer team took to the pitch at Missouri State's Allison South Stadium knowing exactly what they needed to do to: defeat the rival Bears and win the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. UCA did just that, getting a late goal off a header from sophomore Jake Bates to defeat MSU 1-0 and win the program's first regular-season championship at the Division I level.
 
In a battle that saw very few chances, Central Arkansas (7-5-3, 4-1-1 MVC) UCA would create an opportunity early on in the third minute courtesy of a Daltyn Knutson effort that was saved by Missouri State keeper Michael Creek. Soren Jensen would post another shot on target for the Bears in the fifth minute, but was again matched by Creek as he made his second save of the night.
 
After a 20 minute spell that saw neither team post a shot, Central Arkansas would continue to apply pressure, with Katsuyoshi Kimishima putting a shot on target in the 26th minute that was again saved by Creek. Kimishima's strike would be the final shot posted by either team in the first half as the teams headed into halftime scoreless.
 
After a dry 13-minute spell to begin the second half, Missouri State (8-2-5, 2-2-2 MVC) would get the action started when Josh Dolling fired on frame to force UCA keeper Marc Olsen to make his first save of the night in the 63^rd minute.
 
The deadlock would finally be broken in the 81st minute as UCA's  Bates found the back of the net with his head on a free kick service from Jensen. Bates' effort would ultimately be the difference-maker as the Bears went on to come away with the 1-0 win, secruing the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title.
 
UCA head coach Ross Duncan could not have been more pleased with his team's performance.
 
"What a sweet way to end the regular season. Earlier in the year, when we knew this was our last season in the conference, I looked at our schedule and had a feeling we might be playing for the championship tonight," said Duncan. "Facing the two teams we've faced in the last seven days  and getting two wins took some heroic work from our guys. We've adopted a battle mentality and our boys have embraced it. Beating teams of the quality we saw tonight takes more than a good performance; it takes a brave performance, and we got one."
 
With the win, the Bears secure both the MVC title and a first-round bye in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, which begins on Wednesday in Evansville, Illinois. Central Arkansas will head into action on Friday evening at 6:00 PM, facing off with either fourth-seeded Missouri State in a rematch of tonight's action, or host and fifth seed Evansville.