Oct. 30, 2011

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - SIUE men's soccer will be in the 2011 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament despite a 1-0 loss Sunday to Missouri State.

It was the final regular season MVC game for the Cougars which finished 1-4-1 in league play. SIUE is 7-7-4 overall and plays its final regular season game next Friday at UMKC.

SIUE will be the No. 6 seed for this year's MVC Tournament and will face the No. 3 seed to be determined after the final MVC regular season games are played next week. The Cougars have their first contest in the MVC Tournament Nov. 9 at Omaha, Neb.

"We're trying to find our identity," said SIUE Head Coach Kevin Kalish. "We are optimistic in that we have two weeks to get ready for the tournament."

Missouri State, 7-7-2 overall, improved to 4-1 in league play with the win. The Bears used an early goal at the 3:56 mark of the first half as Cole Alexander scored his third goal of the season with a ball that was loose in the box after a header from Heath Melugin.

Kalish said the Cougars had moments in which they were close to tying the game up, but neither team had a multitude of opportunities. SIUE outshot the Bears 9-5, including 6-1 in the second half.

"It was a game that was played mostly at midfield," Kalish said. "We couldn't unlock their defense in the final third."

Missouri State's Trevor Spangenberg was the winning goalkeeper in the shutout and had the game's only save.

Jack Twellman led SIUE's offense with three shots.

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