SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Central Arkansas men's soccer (5-3-2, 2-0-1 ASUN) falls 2-0 to unbeaten Missouri State after two first-half goals.
Missouri State struck early, taking a 1-0 lead in the third minute on a goal from Diego Real. Real added his second goal of the night in the 32nd minute, converting a penalty kick to give Missouri State a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
Missouri State controlled the shot total in the opening 45 minutes, out shooting Central Arkansas 11-2.
The second half saw Central Arkansas hold Missouri State to seven shots while producing five of its own. Vaclav Kozeny recorded two shots on goal for Central Arkansas, while goalkeeper Merrick Cook kept the deficit at two with eight saves on the night.
Central Arkansas had one of its better opportunities to get on the board in the 85th minute. Kozeny put a shot on goal that was saved, while Topias Helle followed with another attempt that was blocked by a Missouri State defender.
Central Arkansas returns to action on Saturday with another road trip to North Florida, with the match set for 6 p.m. The Ospreys are currently 4-0-0 in ASUN play. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ with live statistics available online.
