Springfield Standard

Missouri State University’s men’s soccer team will host Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in an American Conference match on Friday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. The game will take place at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium in Springfield, Missouri.

The Bears currently hold a record of 3-3-2 this season. In their most recent matches, they lost to UAB with a score of 4-0, tied No. 7 Saint Louis 1-1, and defeated Temple 4-0 in their American Conference opener.

Fumiya Shiraishi has played a significant role for the Bears this season, having scored or assisted on nine out of the team’s thirteen goals. He is also the first Bear to win three American Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors in a single season.

Senior goalkeeper Will Lowry now leads the program in career goals-against-average after reaching the required minimum minutes during the match against FIU. His average of 0.64 surpasses Michael Creek's previous record of 0.69 set between 2018 and 2021. In 2024, Lowry ranked fifth nationally for goalkeeper goals-against average (.674), conceding only nine goals over more than 1,200 minutes.

This upcoming game marks the first meeting between Missouri State and FAU.

Under head coach Michael Seabolt, Missouri State has recorded three consecutive seasons with at least twelve wins. Since the start of the 2019 season, Missouri State holds one of Division I’s best overall records at 86-18-12 (.793), as well as leading conference (47-4-4; .891) and strong home records (48-8-6; .823). The Bears had the fifteenth-best win percentage nationally in 2024 (.722).

Missouri State has participated in six straight NCAA tournaments since 2019, joining Clemson, Georgetown, Indiana, Marshall, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh as one of only seven Division I teams to qualify every year during that span.

The Bears were ranked in both initial United Soccer Coaches Polls this year and have appeared in at least one poll for eight consecutive seasons.

This year marks Missouri State’s first season competing in the American Conference after thirty-four years in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). The program earned twelve regular-season championships, four conference tournament titles and nine NCAA Tournament appearances since 1997 while part of MVC.

Missouri State is projected to finish fifth in its new conference according to preseason polls but received one first-place vote and is just two points from second place. Alex Matthews was named a preseason all-league selection and is among twenty-nine players on this year’s Hermann Trophy Watch List for national player of the year consideration.

Four returning players were all-Missouri Valley Conference selections last season: Alex Matthews (first-team), James Jennings (second-team), Fumiya Shiraishi (second-team), and Will Lowry (second-team).

During Friday's match against FAU, Bear Pantry will be collecting donations such as pasta, canned goods, snacks, household supplies and personal hygiene products at collection buckets throughout the stadium. Fans are encouraged to contribute these items to support members of the school community while attending the game.