Tag Archives: Alex Riggs

Ladies Soccer Grabs Bear Cup Award

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SPRINGFIELD — For the second straight year, the Missouri State women’s soccer team took home the top prize of the night, and 25 individual student-athletes were recognized as part of ceremonies Monday (May 2) at the second annual Bears’ All-Sports Showcase at JQH Arena.

Coach Rob Brewer’s squad was the top point collector in the Bear Cup team competition for student development, academic achievement, athletic excellence, career development, and community outreach. The men’s soccer and women’s swimming programs were also finalists for the award, which women’s soccer won at the inaugural awards presentation in 2010.

MSU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) served as the presenters for the evening and also took the lead in the nomination and selection process for the event and the awards presented. Read the rest here

Alex Riggs Signed By Columbus Crew

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Missouri State, Alex Riggs (2011)

Missouri State, Alex Riggs (2011)

Congratulations to Missouri State University goalkeeping standout Alex Riggs on turning professional. Following a tryout in Arizona with the team, Alex has signed a contract with the Columbus Crew of the MLS.

The conversation leading up to the signing, according to the Crew Extra Blog went along these lines:

The Crew continues to mull its backup goalkeeping options. It would prefer to sign a young No. 3 who would be roster and cap exempt. But with starter William Hesmer still recovering from a shoulder fracture and No. 2 Andy Gruenebaum out indefinitely with a hip injury the Crew doesn’t want to chance having to rely on an inexperienced No. 3 in its upcoming CCL series. Former Ohio State and FC Dallas keeper Ray Burse is an option but his former experience would command a senior roster spot and a guaranteed contract.

Riggs was named the 2010 Missouri Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year after leading the league in goals against average (0.73), save percentage (.857) and shutouts (9) among full-time starting keepers. He was also named to the All-MVC first team and MVC All-Tournament team. Riggs ended his career second on the MSU career list in start in net (62), minutes played in net (5,934), goals against average (0.93), shutouts (23) and saves (279). He was selected as the MVC Defensive Player of the Week six times in his career including twice this season (Oct. 11 and Oct. 25).

Bears Shut Out Memphis, Bradley Visits Saturday!

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Dan Williams, Missouri State Bears (2014)

Dan Williams, Missouri State Bears (2014)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Missouri State men’s soccer team (6-5-2, 3-0-1) wrapped up the non-conference slate with a 2-0 shutout of Memphis (3-10-1) at Plaster Field on Tuesday night.

The Bears took the lead in the 12th minute on a nice combination of passes. David Buckenheimer centered the ball to Dan Williams at the top of the box. Williams one-touched the ball forward past the defenders where Heath Melugin ran on to it and beat the Tigers’ keeper. The goal was Melugin’s team-leading sixth of the year. NOTE: check OzarksFirst.com, they showed the goal on the 10pm news and it was a beautiful one-touch pass from freshman Dan Williams into Melugin, sending him in alone on the keeper (Williams is pictured from the Evansville game above)

Missouri State continued to control the ball and play the remainder of the half and were outshooting Memphis four to two at halftime.

The Bears doubled the lead in the 65th minute. Junior Gerard Barbero handled a throw-in on the far right side near the endline and Dan Williams picked up the attempted clearance, slipping it back to Barbaro on the touchline. From their Barbero found space and slotted a cross into the box where Eric Martin rose to meet it, heading the ball past Memphis’ keeper for his first goal of the season.

Senior goalkeeper Alex Riggs was relatively untested in the shutout win. He made three saves, all in the second half. The shutout is Riggs’ sixth of the year and seventh for Missouri State. Paul Paradise led all Bears with three shots in the match. Martin added two for Missouri State.

“Memphis came out strong tonight and I think we weathered the storm early tonight,” stated head coach Jon Leamy. “We got into a rhythm and it was great to get the goals tonight.”

The Bears wrap up the current four-game home stand against conference rival Bradley on Saturday, October 30, at 7:00 p.m. Then a trip to No. 9 Creighton next Wednesday, November 3 awaits before Missouri State’s regular season finale against SIU Edwardsville on Saturday, November 6. The Bears’ 7:00 p.m. match with SIUE is the “Living Our Legacy” match to benefit the Ozarks Honor Flight.

Missouri State Burns The Aces

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Edin Sabic, Missouri State Bears (2012) Wins Header

Edin Sabic, Missouri State Bears (2012) Wins Header

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Missouri State men’s soccer team (5-5-2, 3-0-1) continued its runs through Missouri Valley Conference play with a convincing 3-0 shutout over Evansville (5-8-1, 1-3-0) at Plaster Field Wednesday night. The win keeps the Bears atop the conference standings and extends their regular season conference play unbeaten streak to 11 matches.

PHOTO GALLERY

Junior Gerard Barbero converted his second penalty kick in as many matches to put the Bears ahead in the 24th minute. Fellow junior Jordan Hoffman was taken down in the box to set up the penalty kick. OLE’s NOTE: the play began with a free kick just inside the offensive half. Gerard Barbaro put the ball to the far post on the edge of the six yard box and Heath Melugin won the battle with the keeper. The ball bounced near the penalty spot and Hoffman was first to the ball and as he turned inside, drew the foul.

The two squads battled back-and-forth the remainder of the half and Evansville ended up outshooting MSU seven to five at the break. The Purple Aces continued to press late into the second half, but still trailed 1-0.

In the 84th minute, senior Chad Johnson picked up a loose ball and dribbled into the box against the Evansville defender. At the last minute, he passed the ball to a streaking Heath Melugin, who beat the Aces keeper for his team-leading fifth goal of the year.

Missouri State would tack on another goal in the 90th minute when Hoffman picked off a defensive pass and walked in alone and buried the Bears’ third goal of the night. “Getting that first goal was huge for us,” said head coach Jon Leamy. “The goals haven’t come easy for us this season, so it was nice to see us finish some of those chances tonight.”

Senior goalkeeper Alex Riggs registered five saves in the shutout. It was his fifth shutout of the season and drops his goals against average to 0.77 on the season. “He (Alex Riggs) is playing really well right now,” commented Leamy after the shutout. “He has great composure back there and he just puts this team on his back.”

Missouri State will continue the home stand with its final nonconference opponent, Memphis, on Tuesday, October 26. The Bears will cap the home stand with conference rival Bradley on Saturday, October 30. Both matches begin at 7:00 p.m.

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Alex Riggs Named Missouri Valley Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week

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Alex Riggs, Missouri State (2011) preserves the shutout

Alex Riggs, Missouri State (2011) preserves the shutout

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Missouri State senior goalkeeper Alex Riggs was named the Missouri Valley Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday.

Riggs made seven saves to shut out Eastern Illinois on Saturday afternoon in Charleston, Ill. It was the second conference opponent Riggs has shut out on the road this season (1-0 at Central Arkansas on September 25). He made a spectacular string of three-straight saves in the 83rd minute to preserve the shutout and the win at Eastern Illinois.

The shutout was Riggs’ fourth of the season and 18th of his career. The victory propelled Missouri State to its first 2-0-0 conference start since 2001. The award is Riggs’ fifth of his career. He garnered the accolade twice last season (September 21 and October 12) and twice in 2008 (October 20 and 27).

The Bears will return home to begin a four-game home stand on Saturday, October 16, with a 7:00 p.m. match against Drake. Last season, the Bears beat the Bulldogs twice including a 3-2 overtime win at Plaster Field on November 1.

Missouri State Falls To #2 Tulsa In OT

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David Buckenheimer, Missouri State (2012)

David Buckenheimer, Missouri State (2012)

TULSA, Okla. – The Missouri State men’s soccer team (2-4-0) played the second-ranked Tulsa Golden Hurricane (6-0-0) tough for 107 minutes before losing 2-1 in Tulsa, Okla., Tuesday evening.

Missouri State senior goalkeeper Alex Riggs made seven saves in the match and helped direct a Bears defense that kept the potent Tulsa offense off the scoreboard until the 74th minute.

Missouri State took the lead when Edin Sabic took a free kick from near midfield in the 14th minute. He sailed the long drive over the head on Tulsa’s goalkeeper and into the net. The goal is Sabic’s first of this season.

The Bears would hold the lead until the 74th minute. Tulsa’s Adrian Klammer picked up a loose ball after a pass into the box and put it past Riggs to tie the match. Two minutes later, the Golden Hurricane got a free kick just outside the Missouri State box. Ashley McInnes tried to catch the Bears sleeping with a quick restart, but his shot caromed off the crossbar and out of play.

Jordan Hoffman broke away in the final minute of play, but his shot was saved by a diving Ray Clark resulting in a corner kick in the final seconds of regulation. A brief scramble in front of the Tulsa net was unsuccessful and the two sides went to overtime tied, 1-1.

The two teams would remain tied until the 107th minute. Tulsa’s Austin Neil picked up a rebound off of a Riggs’ save and put in the game winner for the Golden Hurricane.

Missouri State was able to hang with Tulsa throughout the match despite giving up 15 corners and 17 shots to the Golden Hurricane.

Report from the Tulsa Golden Hurricane website

Missouri State will begin conference play at Central Arkansas on Saturday, September 25, with a 4:00 p.m. kick off in Conway, Ark. The Bears will then travel to Saint Louis next Tuesday for an NCAA Tournament rematch with the Billikens. Bears fans can attend a pregame function at the Buffalo Brewing Company in St. Louis or get $4 tickets to the SLU game with a voucher obtained from the MSU soccer offices. For more information on the Saint Louis game, call the MSU soccer offices at (417) 836-5243.

Missouri State Bears Capture 3-0 Win At Home

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Paul Paradise, Missouri State (2011)

Paul Paradise, Missouri State (2011)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Missouri State men’s soccer team (2-2-0) ran its home winning streak to six matches with a 3-0 win over visiting IUPUI (2-2-0) on Sunday afternoon. The Bears have won six consecutive matches at Plaster Field dating back to last season.

The Bears again got on the scoreboard early when Jordan Hoffman scored in the 4th minute of play. He received a pass from Gerard Barbero and headed the ball over the defender to himself. He then deked the Jaguar keeper and found the lower left corner of the net for his first goal of the season. In the 33rd minute, the Bears would double the lead. Paul Paradise (pictured) would receive a free kick and get by a defender. He would pass the ball off to Heath Melugin, who found the lower left corner for the Bears’ second goal of the match.

Missouri State added to its lead in the second half. Barbero picked up a loose ball near midfield. He would dribble forward and drill a shot from about 35 yards out that beat the IUPUI keeper. Senior goalkeeper Alex Riggs made three saves and was spelled in net late by Trevor Spangenberg, who preserved the shutout. Melugin took five of the Bears 13 shots in the match to lead the team. Hoffman, Barbero and Edin Sabic each added two shots.

Missouri State will travel to Louisville, Ky., to take on the Cardinals on Saturday, September 18 in a 7:00 p.m. match. The match begins a six-game road trip for Missouri State. The Bears next home game is on October 16 against Drake at 7:00 p.m.

Missouri State Bears Fall in Double OT at SMU

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Gerard Barbero, Missouri State Bears (2012)

Gerard Barbero, Missouri State Bears (2012)

From the Missouri State Bears website: DALLAS, Texas – After a more than two and a half hour delay in Dallas, the Missouri State men’s soccer team finally got the regular season underway. The Bears got off to a fast start, but SMU stormed back to defeat the Bears 3-2 in double overtime Wednesday night at Westcott Field.

The Bears got on the board first, when junior Heath Melugin headed in a corner kick from fellow junior Gerard Barbero. The goal put the Bears up 1-0 in the 30th minute. Freshman Callen Roselieb scored the Bears’ second goal of the match just five seconds before halftime. Roselieb drilled a rebound past the Mustang keeper after a corner kick by Edin Sabic. SMU was attempting to clear the ball when Roselieb intercepted and found the back of the net through heavy traffic.

But the Mustangs rebounded in the second half. Zach Barnes got the Mustangs on the board just 37 seconds into the second half. Juan Castillo would tie the match in the 87th minute of play and the teams would head to overtime.

After a scoreless back and forth first overtime period, SMU would find the back of the net to win the match in the 103rd minute. TJ Nelson would beat Missouri State keeper Alex Riggs with a shot into the lower left corner of the net.

Riggs would make eight saves for the Bears, all of which occurred in the second half and overtime. His best save came in the first overtime period when he stopped a point-blank shot by Arthur Ivo a minute and a half in to keep the match tied. Barbero registered three of the Bears’ nine shots in the match. After outshooting SMU six to two in the first half, the Mustangs would pile up 18 second half shots and add six more in overtime to overcome the 2-0 deficit.

Missouri State will travel to UMKC on Monday, September 6, for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. The Bears’ regular season home opener is against Green Bay next Friday, September 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Plaster Field.

OLE’S NOTES – my roster call in advance of the game was on target as the Bears started Vania and Roselieb in the middle with Griffiths and Clark on the back line. Two freshman along with a sophomore and junior. Griffiths and Vania were the only players, besides Riggs in goal, to play the entire 103 minutes. Eric Martin and Edin Sabic were the only substitutes to play more than 13 minutes, with both clocking 39 minutes during the course of the match.

Giving up the goal 37 seconds into the second half and in the 87th minute, allowing the Mustangs to tie the game, are the kinds of things that can lead to hair loss and more in coaches. Let’s see how the boys handle it in Kansas City on Monday.

Bears Drop Exhibition Match To New Mexico, Play At Home Friday

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Eric Martin, Missouri State Bears (2013)

Eric Martin, Missouri State Bears (2013)

The Missouri State men’s soccer team gave up a second half goal to drop a 1-0 decision to New Mexico in a neutral site exhibition match played in Tulsa on Sunday. Sophomore transfer Devon Sandoval scored the lone goal of the game in the 55th minute for the Lobo win.

“We knew we could be at a disadvantage playing a fresh team after our game in the heat on Friday,” said Lobo head coach Jeremy Fishbein. “We knew we would face a lot of challenges, but our guys came out very composed and took a mature approach to the game for such a young team.”

Sandoval picked up a pass from redshirt freshman Lawrence Robledo inside the 6-yard box for the goal. Sandoval, an Albuquerque native, is making his return to New Mexico after spending his freshman season at San Diego State. Sandoval and Robledo are two of 20 Lobos on the team that are sophomores, redshirt freshmen or true freshmen. Sophomore Victor Rodriguez defended the Lobo goal for the shutout.

Senior keeper Alex Riggs went the distance for the Bears, allowing just one goal to the Lobos offense.

“We did some nice things out there today,” said head coach Jon Leamy. “We also have some things to work on to get ready for the season opener in a week and a half. Our boys battled a tough team from New Mexico for 90 minutes today.”

Exhibition play will wrap up Friday, August 27, with a match versus Missouri S&T at 5:00 p.m. at Plaster Field. Missouri State will then travel to SMU for the regular season opener on September 1. The Bears regular season home opener is against Green Bay on September 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Missouri State Bears Picked For 2nd In Missouri Valley Conference Soccer

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Missouri State, Paul Paradise with mother and friend

Missouri State, Paul Paradise with mother and friend

The Missouri State men’s soccer team is picked to finish second according to the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll released by the league today. The Bears, regular season champions a year ago, received two first-place votes and finish eight points behind Evansville in the poll. The Purple Aces garnered the other six first-place votes and racked up 60 points. Creighton (49 points), Drake (41), Bradley (28), SIU Edwardsville (24), Eastern Illinois (20) and Central Arkansas (14) are picked behind the Bears.

“We believe in our team and think that this season will be great,” said head coach Jon Leamy. “We will continue to take steps to improve as the season progresses. It is nice to get votes from our peers, but it is going to be a battle all season long.”

The Valley also announced the preseason All-MVC team today. Last season’s MVC Defensive Player of the Year, Alex Riggs, and fellow senior Paul Paradise received the nod to the preseason squad. Paradise, a transfer from West Virginia, made an immediate impact on the Bears team in his first year. He scored his first goal in a Bears’ uniform in just the second match of the year and went on to score five goals on the season, second-best on the team. Paradise was an All-MVC honorable mention selection in 2009. He tallied two game-winning goals on the season and was named the MVC Offensive Player of the Week on October 26 following his two-goal outburst against Bradley. He earned All-Midwest Region third team honors for his play in 2009.