Men's Soccer Week 5 Notes: at NSU | at Harding

Weekly Schedule:
Friday, Sept. 28 – at Northeastern State – 7:00 pm – Tahlequah, Okla.
Live Stats

Sunday, Sept. 30 – at Harding – 3:00 pm – Searcy, Ark.
Live Stats

PDF Notes

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - - A six-match road trip comes to an end this weekend for the Truman men's soccer team, but not without two final challenges as the Bulldogs travel to Northeastern State on Friday night before visiting Harding on Sunday afternoon.

Truman (4-2-1, 2-0-1 MIAA) is wrapping up five straight road MIAA matches following a trip to Belleville, Ill., in early September and will be in search of an unbeaten trip away from Kirksville. Truman is 3-0-1 thus far on the trip, averaging nearly three goals per game while giving up just four total tallies.

Starting this weekend's trip will be a Friday night showdown with nationally-ranked Northeastern State, a program currently one point back of Truman in the MIAA standings and sporting a 5-2 overall record. The purple and white will close the trip with a Sunday afternoon affair in Searcy, Arkansas, with the Harding Bison, currently 3-4 overall (1-2 MIAA) on the year.

The Bulldogs posted four points last weekend with a 2-2 draw at Lindenwood before a 2-0 shutout at Southwest Baptist. Four different players accounted for the goals, as Tony Luedecke and Andy Chapman scored at LWU before Austin Hayden and Charlie Backus found pay-dirt at SBU. For Chapman, it marked his team-leading fourth goal of the season, while Backus increased his MIAA-leading assist tally to five. Nick Wallner and Drew Garrone continued to split time in net, with the tandem now producing a season-long GAA of 1.38 and 27 saves.

Duke Cochran is in his eighth season at the helm of the Bulldog men's soccer program and has a career record of 75-47-12. His full bio is available either online at TrumanBulldogs.com or in the full PDF weekly notes.

Weekly Recap with Coach Cochran:
To watch this week's weekly recap with coach Duke Cochran, click the video link below. If the video is not appearing, please access the full weekly notes at TrumanBulldogs.com.

Following the Bulldogs:
Full coverage of Truman men's soccer is available online at TrumanBulldogs.com, including results, upcoming match information and weekly updates.

When available, links to free online live stats are added to the Bulldog men's soccer schedule page as well as the top of each weekly update.

Keep up with the Bulldogs by tracking in-game updates (when available). Follow Truman Athletics on Twitter (@TrumanAthletics). Also be sure to sign up for Text Caster and Newsletter updates on the TrumanBulldogs.com homepage.

Quick Look Around the League:
The top four and bottom four teams have begun to see a bit of separation through three conference matches, as Truman, Fort Hays State, Lindenwood and Northeastern State are a combined 8-0 against Harding, Upper Iowa, Southwest Baptist and Southern Nazarene.

Fort Hays State currently is the front-runner with nine points thanks to an overtime home win against NSU last week, dropping the Riverhawks to fourth behind Truman and Lindenwood's seven points. Harding and Upper Iowa earned wins against SBU and SNU to sit at the three point mark, while the Bearcats and Storm have yet to pick up an MIAA point and are 0-3.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the top four teams will head to Olathe, Kan., for the MIAA semifinals and championship on Nov. 1 and 3.

The eight MIAA teams are joined by Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) (4-5) to comprise the NCAA Div. II Central region, with the top two teams in the region following the MIAA tournament qualifying for the NCAA tournament.

Score First, Lead Early, Convert Often, Allow Few:
The Bulldogs have followed the script to a 'T' this season, in regards to whether the team has set itself up for earning points. Truman is 4-0-1 when scoring first, 4-0-1 when leading at the half, 4-1-1 when scoring at least two goals, and 4-0 when allowing fewer than two goals.

Bulldogs Riding League's Longest Unbeaten Streak:
In MIAA-only contests, Truman currently has the longest unbeaten streak of six, dating back to the conclusion of the 1998 season and start of 2012. The Bulldogs closed the 1998 conference slate with wins against Lincoln (6-0), Missouri Southern (3-1) and Southwest Baptist (7-0) and finished second in the league behind Missouri S&T (then Missouri-Rolla).

Checking Out the Competition:
Northeastern State “Riverhawks” (5-2, 2-1 MIAA)
Northeastern State returns home following a 1-1 week on the road, following a 3-2 OT loss at Fort Hays State on Sept. 20 before picking up a 2-1 win at Southern Nazarene on Sept. 22. The Riverhawks have played just once at home this season, winning 3-1 in its MIAA-opener against Harding on Sept. 15.

NSU has out-scored opponents 16-9 on the season and has out-shot foes 135-52. The Riverhawks have done the majority of their damage in the second have, out-scoring teams 12-2 in the final 45 minutes; however, NSU is 0-2 in OT matches this season.

Bo White is the team's leading goal scorer with eight, while Edgar Gonzaga has added three. Jordan Ladbrooke is the team's leading keeper, posting a 1.46 GAA with 14 saves.

Truman is 4-1 all-time against NSU, with the most recent match coming on Oct. 31, 2010 – a 1-0 Bulldog win in Tahlequah. Rob Czlonka is in his second season at the helm of the NSU program.

Harding “Bison” (3-4, 1-2 MIAA)
As an affiliate member of the MIAA for men's soccer only, Harding is coming off a 1-1 weekend to open league play, starting with a 2-0 win at Southern Nazarene before falling 2-1 to FHSU on Sept. 22. The Bison are 1-1 at home this season and will be playing an MIAA team at home for the first time when Upper Iowa visits Searcy on Friday night.

HU has been out-scored 12-9 on the season and out-shot 100-83. The Bison have been a balanced scoring bunch, as Ian Park's two goals are a team-high with seven others scoring once each. Chase Keeney has spent the majority of time in net, posting a 1.20 GAA and making 24 saves (.774%).

Truman has met Harding just once previously on the pitch, with Truman winning 5-0 in Memphis, Tenn., on Nov. 2, 2003.

Odie Guzman is in his first season at the helm of the Harding program.

Up Next:
Truman will play twice next week, including its final regular season road match of 2012 as six of the team's final seven come at the friendly confines of the Bulldog Soccer Pitch. The Bulldogs host future-GLVC foe and long-time rival Rockhurst at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 3 before visiting Iowa Wesleyan on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 2:00 pm.

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