Oct. 12, 2011

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Patrick Clendenny scored SIUE's lone goal Wednesday as the Cougars settled for a 1-1 tie with Central Arkansas in Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer action at Korte Stadium.

What started out as a cool night turned into a wet and sometimes slushy contest between the two teams. SIUE dominated much of the play outshooting the Bears 19-7 in the first 90 minutes.

Central Arkansas, 1-6-3 overall and 0-1-1 in the MVC, would score its only goal in the first half. Ethan Miller converted a penalty kick at 16:48. It would be one of two shots in the half for the Bears.

SIUE Head Coach Kevin Kalish said playing from behind changed the game for the Cougars, now 7-3-3 overall and 1-0-1 in MVC play.

"We needed to have a little more composure and trust our abilities to pass the ball. Hopefully we learn from it," he said.

The Cougars kept pressing against UCA goalkeeper Patxi Shortsleeve, who finished with seven saves. It wasn't until 79:58 when Clendenny found himself wide open in the right side of the box after a deflection and then crushed a right-footed shot into the left side of the net. Matt Polster picked up his team-leading sixth assist on the play.

Central Arkansas peppered SIUE goalkeeper Scott Meyer with six shots in the two overtime periods. Meyer ended the game with four saves.

Rain began to cover Bob Guelker Field late in the second half and throughout the overtime periods. The turf field held up but the play was different with a soggy soccer ball and field.

"(The weather) makes things a little bit more difficult to do. Obviously the field is more slick but still no excuses. We should be able to handle that," said Kalish. "It was good to come back and get a draw in the match and get a point out of it. We will take the positives from it and move forward," said Kalish.

The Cougars now move on for their first MVC road test of the season. SIUE travels to Bradley, the site of the 2010 State Farm MVC Tournament where the Braves and the Cougars met in the league's title game last season. Game time is 5 p.m.

"It will be a tough game against Bradley on Saturday. We will try to recover as much as possible. Recovery is vital at this point in the season. Hopefully we can get ourselves prepared for Bradley," said Kalish.

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