DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University men's soccer team fell to 15th-ranked Missouri State, 3-0, on Saturday night (Sept. 16) at the NIU Soccer Complex in its inaugural Missouri Valley Conference match. 

"Hugely disappointing to start conference play like this," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "I really don't think we laid a glove on Missouri State tonight. In the opening exchanges we looked bright, after they scored (the first goal) I think we had a response. But I was disappointed overall with the performance."

Inside the opening 20 seconds of the contest, Camilo Estrada (Dallas, Texas/Lone Star) had a chance Missouri State goalkeeper Harry Townsend's loose pass was collected by Estrada but his shot from distance was comfortably held. 

NIU had another half-chance just before the quarter-hour mark as Patrick Coleman (Antioch, Ill./Antioch Community) drove down the left wing and fired a shot from outside the box that went just wide. Missouri State's first look at goal came five minutes later off a free kick as Jack Denton's effort from just shy of 30 yards went high. 

The Bears opened the scoring in the 29th minute through Jesus Barea. Kian Yari played the ball into the feet of Barea at the top of the box and Barea swiveled and fired a looping shot over the hand of an outstretched Jakub Rojek (Chicago, Ill./Von Steuben) in goal for the Huskies to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. 

Missouri State had a chance to double its advantage in the 42nd minute as Jack Denton had space for a shot inside the 'D' but Rojek was able to get down low to his left and make the save as the Bears took a 1-0 lead into halftime. 

The visitors caught NIU on the counter to score a second in the 59th minute. Townsend claimed a Huskie corner as sprung a Missouri State counterattack, finding Denton near midfield. Denton sprayed a ball wide into the run of Pablo Guillen who cut to his left to make space just outside the box and curled a shot into the corner just past Rojek to give the Bears a two-goal advantage. 

"It was a great counterattack," said Swan. "But that was a real gut-punch. We had a number of corner kicks, five or six, and we didn't take advantage of them. If you don't take advantage of the chances you get, you will get punished by good teams."

Eight minutes from time, Missouri State added a third. Good combination play led to a chance for Barea. His shot from about 10 yards was stopped by Rojek but the rebound fell to Gijs Hovius who swept home the rebound to put the Bears in front, 3-0, in the 82nd minute. 

Rojek made three saves in the contest for NIU, Townsend recorded three stops for Missouri State. 

NIU will return to action next Saturday, Sept. 23, when the Huskies travel to Evansville. Game time against the Purple Aces is scheduled for 7 p.m.