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.