Final Stats

CHICAGO - The top-two defensive units in the Missouri Valley Conference were on full display tonight as the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team and Missouri State battled to a scoreless draw in double overtime at Loyola Soccer Park. The Ramblers move to 4-4-4 (1-1-1 Missouri Valley) with the result, while the Bears now sit at 6-4-3 (2-0-1 Missouri Valley).

"Missouri State is a very difficult team to break down," Loyola head men's soccer coach Neil Jones said. "They're very defensive oriented and that shows as the have a very good record in terms of goals against. We need to do a better job in the final third. We're not creating enough. I thought in the second half that we were very good and limited them. It was a good performance from us but we're a little disappointed that we couldn't get the three points tonight because if you want to win the conference, which we do and feel that we can, you have win your home games."

Both teams came into tonight's conference matchup allowing well less than a goal per game and it showed from the opening whistle as neither team was able to establish a presence in the attacking third. Brandon Barbero had his attempt, the first shot for either team, blocked near the top of the 18-yard box in the 35th minute. Jack Roberts came close for the visitors from Springfield, Mo. five minutes later when he ripped a shot wide of the near post from right of goal.

John Cappuccitti gave Loyola its best chance of the opening stanza when he broke free down the right side but the freshman had his pass across the box cleared out by the Missouri State defense. That proved to be the final attacking opportunity for either team in a first half that featured no shots on goal.

Missouri State came out of the halftime break on a cold fall evening in Rogers Park and looked to gain the possession advantage but was still unable to break down the Ramblers in the final third. Elliot Collier seemed to spark the Loyola attack in the 69th minute when he fired wide of goal from the top of the arc. The freshman out of Hamilton, New Zealand had another shot blocked just under four minutes later, leading to a Loyola corner kick, the first of the evening for either team. Kyle Thomson's delivery made it into the center of the box but the Ramblers were unable to make contact before the ball was cleared from danger.

Thomson, out of Park Ridge, Ill., came dangerously close to finding a breakthrough goal for the Maroon & Gold in the 81st minute. After Brian Bement had his shot blocked in the box, Thompson unleashed a blast off the rebound from 25 yards out that barely cleared the crossbar. Neither team was able to notch another shot before regulation ended, sending Loyola to its seventh-straight overtime contest.

The first extra session featured opportunities for both teams to find a golden goal. Brody Kraussel had his attempt blocked in the 93rd minute before Dallas Moses recorded the lone shot on goal of the evening in the 97th minute when his headed attempt was turned away by Addison Watson, the Missouri State goalkeeper. Jack Roberts, who finished the game with a team-high three shots for the Bears, battled his way into the box in the 98th minute but pulled his attempt well wide of Tim Dobrowolski's near post in what would be the final attempt for either team as the game ended scoreless.

Loyola faces a quick turnaround as it returns to Loyola Soccer Park on Tuesday, Oct. 21, to host city-rival UIC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.