Racers Travel To Springfield For Road Match With Missouri State – Murray State University Athletics

Date (Time): Thursday, October 10 (4 p.m. CT)
Site (Venue): Springfield, Mo. (Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium)
Opponent: Missouri State Bears
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
 

The Racers are slated to face the Missouri State Bears on Thursday, October 10 at 4 p.m. at the Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium in Springfield, Missouri. Thursday’s contest marks the eighth all-time matchup between the two programs with Missouri State leading the series on a 4-3-1 record.

Murray State saw a scoreless draw with the Bears last season at home in a rematch of the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference championship match, where Missouri State came out victorious in the Racers’ inaugural season as members of the MVC.

Prior to meeting in the title match, Murray State had won back-to-back matches to snap a three-match losing skid to the Bears from 2004 to 2019.

Missouri State enters the match with a 6-4-3 overall record and lead the conference with a 4-0-1 MVC record. The Bears are led by head coach Kirk Nelson, who is in his third season at the helm of Missouri State’s women’s soccer program. He has amassed a record of 30-13-10 and has already notched two 12-win seasons through his first two years as a head coach.

Julia Kristensen is one of Missouri State’s key offensive pieces in 2024, leading the team with four goals and five assists thus far. Her goal count is tied for the fifth-most in the MVC and is tied for the most assists among all players in the conference.

Five of the six goal contributors for the Bears this season have recorded at least two goals this season. Eight different players have also facilitated at least one assist, with Kristensen and Kaeli Benedict combining for eight of the team’s 14 total assists.

Camielle Day is one of The Valley’s toughest keepers, having notched six shutouts in 12 starts this year and currently holds a goals against average of 1.37 with 47 saves on 136 shots faced.

The Racers enter Thursday’s match winless through their first five conference matches and are set to take on the current leading team in the conference, a similar situation to one they found themselves in during the 2023 season.

In 2023, the Racers were 0-1-4 through their first five games of MVC play prior to taking on the Northern Iowa Panthers, who at the time were the leading team in the conference. Murray State then exploded offensively for its only four-goal match in a 4-1 victory over UNI.

For more information on the Murray State women’s soccer program, visit GoRacers.com or follow @RacersSoccer on X and Instagram.