Missouri State Hosts SIUE Cougars Sunday October 30th

HELP US BREAK THE ALL-TIME MISSOURI STATE MEN’S SOCCER ATTENDANCE RECORD
• Final Regular Season Missouri Valley Conference match!

Living-Our-Legacy-Missouri-State-2011

SUNDAY, OCT. 30, 6 p.m.
Plaster Sports Complex
• Theme: “Soccer Salutes Service”
• Pregame tribute to: EMT/First-Responders, Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Relief Workers
• Commemorate 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001
• Commemorate rebuilding efforts in Joplin
• Family Fun Zone – 4 p.m.
• First 400 fans receive free t-shirt, compliments of Verizon Wireless

• FREE ADMISSION FOR:
• Missouri State students
• Law enforcement
• Firefighters
• EMT/Rescue/First responders
• Medical personnel
• Military personnel
• High school students
• Children

• $3 admission for Missouri State faculty & staff
• $5 general admission
• $1 from every ticket sold goes to support Code 3 Sertoma, which helps families of service personnel killed in line of duty

Suites are available!
Pizza, snacks, beverages provided, Additional game tickets provided
Gift from Missouri State men’s soccer team provided
A great location for your Club or Group, protected from the weather

Contact Coach Jon Leamy at

• jonleamy@missouristate.edu
• 417-836-5243

• For more information/to follow us:

www.msulegacygame.com
• Twitter: @msulegacygame
Facebook.com/msulegacygame

Missouri State Bears Defeat #4 ranked Creighton Blue Jays

Missouri State Bears, Heath Melugin (2012)

Congratulations to the Bears on their great win at home last night. Wish I didn’t have to leave Springfield for them to get over that hump!

The historic win can be viewed on Mediacom, channel 22 on Friday, October 14 at 7 p.m., Sunday, October 16 at 1 p.m. and Tuesday, October 18 at 4 p.m. In addition, the replay of the game will be made available on Mediacom On-Demand. The only other televised Missouri State men’s soccer game was the MSU 5-0 win over Texas-Pan American on October 10, 1996 at Cooper Field.

From MissouriStateBears.com – In its first-ever win over a top-five opponent, the Missouri State men’s soccer team (4-5-2, 2-0 Missouri Valley Conference) upset No. 4 Creighton (10-2, 0-1 MVC) in a 1-0 shutout on Wednesday at Plaster Field. The Bears have won three out of the past four matches and registered their second shutout of the season.

“The defense came out prepared, they were organized, played tight zones,” said head coach Jon Leamy. “That’s how we got the first goal. Heath pressured well, got mixed up with their goalkeeper and buried it and put us on top. It’s a big win for us.”

Missouri State’s game-winner came halfway through the first half on a Creighton defensive breakdown. A ricocheted ball off of Bluejay goalkeeper Brian Holt conveniently made its way back to Heath Melugin who took full advantage of the blunder. From 15 yards out, the senior midfielder chipped the ball into a wide open net to put the Bears up 1-0 in the 23rd minute. Melugin has now scored in two consecutive matches and moved into the team lead in points with seven and tied for the team lead in goals with two.

Arens And Collier Face Missouri State Thursday

Aren-Collier-MissouriSandT

Taylor Arens (2015) and Caleb Collier (2013), Missouri S&T Miners

On the way to St Louis today (I’m officially a former resident of Springfield) I stopped by my alma mater in Rolla to catch the early evening practice for the Miner’s. The squad, led by GLVC Coach of the Year Joe Ahearn, visits Springfield on Thursday evening for an exhibition match against the Missouri State Bears. Game time is 6:30 pm at Plaster Stadium.

The team includes a pair of Springfield players, freshman Taylor Arens (Catholic/Springfield SC) and junior Caleb Collier (Kickapoo/Springfield SC), pictured after practice today.

The Miner’s are coming off a season that included a share of the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s regular season championship, followed by a run to the title game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional, losing to eventual national champion Northern Kentucky.

The Miners were picked to finish third in the 16-team conference race in the league’s coaches poll released Wednesday, just after landing a No. 13 national ranking in the pre-season for Division II by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America – the same spot S&T finished in the final national poll a year ago.

Jesse Miech Named Head Coach at Illinois-Springfield

Jesse Miech, Missouri State (2006)

Jesse Miech, Missouri State (2006)

From the State-Register Journal in Springfield, IL comes news that Jesse Miech has been named the men’s head soccer coach at the University of Illinois Springfield. UIS is a D2 program that competes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference which will bring Jesse to Springfield, MO every other year. He is the second former regional Coach to be named a Head Coach in the GLVC this year (Kiley Cirillo was named Indianapolis Women’s Head Coach in January).

Miech was an assistant last season with the NCAA Division I Billikens, and he worked primarily with the goalkeepers.

He also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Virginia Tech in 2010, and from 2008-09 he was an assistant at Clemson. With the Tigers, Miech assisted in the day-to-day operations of the soccer program and was directly responsible for the implementation of a year-round goalkeeper-training program.

Miech also spent two seasons beginning in 2006 at Missouri State, where he coached the Bears’ goalkeepers and was the program’s head recruiter.

Drury Hosts Missouri State, Benedictine and Crowder Saturday

You can catch four Men’s college games on Saturday at Harrison Stadium, home of the Drury Panthers. The Benedictine Ravens, an NAIA program that competes in the Heartland of America Conference (Evangel, Wm Jewell) visits as does Crowder College, the NJCAA program in Neosho that features a number of local players. Drury and Missouri State will play each of these teams as part of a four game feature beginning at 12:30 pm. Free Admission.

12:30 – 14:00
Drury vs Crowder College

14:15 – 15:45
Missouri State vs Benedictine (KS)

16:00 – 17:30
Missouri State vs Crowder College

17:45 – 19:15
Drury vs Benedictine (KS)

Still no match between Missouri State and Drury however. At least the women are willing to play each other!

Tommy Howe: Coaching good soccer takes patience

Tom Howe, Scott Gallagher SC (2006)Former Missouri State Head Coach Tommy Howe was interviewed by Soccer America for their Youth Insider series. Check it out!

Tom Howe helped found St. Louis’ Scott Gallagher SC in 1976 and coached future stars such as Tim Ream, Brad Davis and Pat Noonan. One of his alums, Cal coach Kevin Grimes, calls Howe “a legend, one of the best youth coaches ever.” Last year, after Scott Gallagher merged with Busch SC and Metro United, Howe left and started a new club, Woodson City Rangers. Howe, a St. Louis product himself who starred at SIU-Edwardsville and played in the old NASL, spoke to us for the Youth Soccer Insider’s ongoing interview series with leaders of U.S. youth clubs.

SOCCER AMERICA: If you had a magic wand, how would you use it to improve youth soccer in America?

TOM HOWE: I wish everybody would try and play like Barcelona. If all the clubs across the country did that you’d have some pretty smart players when they hit the ages of 18, 19, 20. And there’d be more people wanting to watch soccer in this country. Barcelona’s the best team I’ve ever seen. They’re just fun to watch.

Another thing about Barcelona — they don’t have a lot of these gigantic athletes who everybody wants to get these days.

SA: What’s the key to playing like Barcelona?

TOM HOWE: The ability to play in tight spaces. You spend tons of time in playing in small, tight areas, and then when you get on the big field it’s not a big deal. I think more teams need work on the possession game. All the best teams in the world over the years have been great technical teams – like Spain, Barcelona. Teams like that play the best soccer.

At the youth level, too many people play more to win. My point is, if you teach your kids to play like Barcelona you’re eventually going to win.

You can see the rest of the conversation on the Soccer America website.

Tom Howe is the Executive Director of Player Development of the Woodson City Rangers. He was was a founding member of the Scott Gallagher SC, which won seven national championships and 14 regional titles under his direction. A collegiate All-American at SIU-Edwardsville, Howe played professionally for the St. Louis Stars, Denver Dynamos and Minnesota Kicks. He also coached at SIU-Edwardsville, Western Illinois, Florissant Valley Community College, Southwest Missouri State University and Saint Louis University.

Missouri State Youth Soccer Camp Registration Now Open

Missouri State Soccer CampNow entering its 19th exciting year, the Missouri State Soccer School is known as one of the finest quality teaching soccer camps in the nation. The Missouri State Soccer School offers players the opportunity to enhance their individual skills and further develop the concepts of team play. Missouri State University, located in Springfield, Missouri, the gateway city to the Ozarks, provides an ideal environment for all players.

The Missouri State Soccer School offers serious players the opportunity to train and develop under the guidance of the first-rate instructional staff. Come and experience what thousands of players from around the nation have chosen as their summer home for soccer.

This is the camp I sent my nephews to for years and it was always something they enjoyed. Your son or daughter can commute or stay on campus in the dorms (like the college kids) and there are also Team Camps for High School programs that want to come and train together. Details available on the website

Lance Parker Signs With FC Edmonton in NASL

Former Missouri State Bear goalkeeper Lance Parker is trading in his flip flops and shorts for the cooler environs of Edmonton, Canada. Parker has signed with FC Edmonton, one of eight teams in the North American Soccer League (NASL) that has been provisionally-add

Parker moves to Edmonton from NASL team Miami FC, soon to be renamed the Strikers.

The 25-year old goalie started his career at Missouri State University, where he was twice named All Missouri Valley Conference second team and posted a goal-against average of below one. While with the Missouri State Bears he also played with the Colorado Rapids U-23 team. Parker was signed to Chivas USA in 2008.The American goalkeeper played in the 2008 North American Superliga for Chivas. He was with Miami for two years.

Alex Riggs Signed By Columbus Crew

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).

Jordan Reppell Named to the NSCAA All-Region First Team

From the Bear’s website: Missouri State women’s soccer senior defender Jordan Reppell was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Performance Subaru All-Great Lakes Region first team, it was announced today. It is the second-consecutive year that Reppell has been on the All-Region squad as she was a third teamer in 2009.

Reppell earned Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading a Bears’ defense to eight shutouts and a team goals against average of 0.96 in 2010. She was also named to the All-MVC first team this season, becoming just the fourth MSU player to earn all-conference accolades every year of a four-year career.