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Men's Soccer Weekly -- Doug Elder

Men's Soccer MSU Athletic Communications

MEN'S SOCCER WEEKLY: Midwestern looking to build momentum on road

MSU Men’s Soccer Weekly

Midwestern State heads for the mountains for a Sunday showdown with Adams State Sunday in Alamosa, Colo. The match is the Mustangs' second and final showdown with a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference program this season. MSU claimed a win in its other inter-region showdown in a 3-1 result over Colorado State-Pueblo earlier this month in Wichita Falls. 
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
 
ADAMS STATE 
// Sunday, 09.30.2012 // 1 p.m. (Central Time) // ASC Soccer Field // Alamosa, Colo. 
Live Stats | No Streaming Video
  
The Grizzlies (1-6) ride a three-match skid into one of their toughest weekend of the season. Adams State takes on No. 5 Regis Friday in Denver before returning home to face Midwestern State on Sunday. Adams State hasn't found the back of the net in its last three outings enduring losses to Fort Lewis (Colo.) (1-0), Colorado Mesa (2-0) and Colorado-Colorado Springs (2-0) after claiming its lone victory of the season in a 2-1 result over Colorado Christian on Sep. 14. Four different players have accounted for the Grizzlies four goals this season with tallies coming from junior forward Jake Hughes, sophomore defender Andrew Hinkle, freshman forward J.J. Dennis and junior forward Norberto Lopez. Adams State scores 0.57 goals per game and allows 2.14. 
All-Time Series: First meeting. 
Coach Elder on the Grizzlies: "Adams State is probably the most improved team in the RMAC. They took Fort Lewis to double overtime last weekend (in Durango) which is not an easy task. They are very good defensively. Offensively, the shots they get they are pretty much on goal. Coach Tim Busen has built a good program there. They play on turf so it will be interesting for us for our first game (on that surface). It's always hard to play on the road especially going all the way to Colorado. We know the importance of the RMAC games because this team will beat some other teams. The good thing is we can prepare all week for one game instead of the two we always have to do so hopefully we can focus on that and come back with a win." 
     
       
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS

Midwestern State rebounded from its first home loss since 2007 with a resounding 6-0 win over Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) Sunday afternoon at the MSU Soccer Field. Junior forward VcMor Eligwe enjoyed a stellar weekend assisting on a pair of goals by Len Smith Friday against Incarnate Word before tallying a pair of scores of his own Sunday against OBU. Senior forward David Freeland also got in on the scoring act notching his first goal of the season while assisting on two others on Sunday. Senior Aaron Douthit notched his goal of the season while freshmen Bryan Santiago and Taylor Brown recorded their first collegiate goals against Ouachita Baptist. The Mustangs will need to keep the offensive production rolling on the road where they have tallied just one goal in 290 minutes this season. Defensively, MSU allows 0.57 goals per game and have posted five clean sheets in seven matches this season. 
 
Coach Doug Elder said: "It's important to finish your chances and to realize you're still better than a lot of the teams you are going to play and have that confidence. I didn't think we played great (against Ouachita Baptist) but I thought we played pretty well. We finished much better and created a lot more chances. Sometimes we pass the ball square and then go back and just don't get forward. When we do get forward, we rely on our two strikers and nobody in this league has two strikers good enough to take on four, five and six defenders." 
     
   
NOTEWORTHY
 
  • Incarnate's Word's 3-2 win snapped Midwestern's 45-match unbeaten streak at the MSU Soccer Field which dated back to the 2007 season. The Mustangs' last loss came in a 1-0 decision to West Texas A&M on Nov. 4, 2007. MSU boasted a 41-0-4 record during the run that included 31 shutouts and draws against Sonoma State (11/17/07), West Texas A&M (9/18/09), Texas A&M International (9/25/09) and St. Edward's (10/23/11). MSU boasted winning streaks of 12 and 23 matches during the run that spanned 2,145 days or 5 years and 320 days.
  • Midwestern slipped out of the NSCAA Division II Poll for the first time since Sep. 26, 2006 ending a string of 70 consecutive periods in which was eligible for the poll including 45 weeks in the Top 10 and three weeks at No. 1 in 2008.
  • Sophomore forward Len Smith accounted for each of MSU's two goals in a 3-2 loss to Incarnate Word on Friday. It was first multiple-goal collegiate game as he now has scored three goals this season -- all assisted by junior forward VcMor Eligwe.
  • Junior forward VcMor Eligwe matched career highs in both games last weekend as he notched two assists for the third time in his collegiate career Friday against Incarnate Word before scoring two goals also for the third time in his career.
  • With three goals and three assists through seven matches this season, Eligwe has matched his 2011 season output after recording 11 goals and six assists as a freshman in 2010.
  • Senior forward David Freeland notched his first goal of the season Sunday against Ouachita Baptist while also dishing out two assists. The Midland native upped his career totals to 19 goals and 10 assists.
  • Freshman midfielder Bryan Santiago scored his first collegiate goal in the 11th minute of MSU's 6-0 win over Ouachita Baptist Sunday at the MSU Soccer Field.
  • Redshirt freshman Taylor Brown tallied his first collegiate goal in the 83rd minute Sunday against Ouachita Baptist.
  • Redshirt freshman Kwame Adu-wusu logged his first two collegiate assists in Sunday's win over Ouachita Baptist.
  • Junior Ray Clark's 10 saves Friday against Incarnate Word were the most by an MSU goalkeeper since Sloane Williams made 17 saves in a 3-0 loss to Sonoma State on Nov. 24, 2002 in the NCAA II national quarterfinals in Rohnert Park, Calif.
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