# 2019 Missouri State Bears soccer team

The 2019 Missouri State Bears soccer team represented the Missouri State University during the 2019 NCAA Division I men's soccer season and the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer season. The regular season began on August 30 and concluded on November 5. It was the program's 39th season fielding a men's varsity soccer team, and their 30th season in the Missouri Valley Conference. The 2019 season was Jon Leamy's 28th year as head coach for the program.
The 2019 season has proved to be one of the most successful seasons in the program's history. The program finished the regular season with a perfect 16–0–0 record, and were ranked as high as 9th in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches poll, their highest ranking since 1999. They lost in the Championship game of the MVC Tournament on penalties to Loyola Chicago. In the First Round of the NCAA Soccer Tournament they defeated Denver 1-0. In the second round they lost 2-1 at Central Florida.

## Player movement
### Departures
### Arrivals

| Name | Nat. | Hometown | High School | Club |
| Pau Ruiz GK | ESP | Barcelona, ESP | La Salle Congres | Damm |
| Giacomo Sala DF | ITA | Monza, ITA | Collegio Bianconi | |
| Jon Koka FW | ESP | Bilbao, ESP | Maristak Durango | Eibar |
| Samuel Joyce MF | SCO | Northumberland, UK | St Thomas More Catholic | Newcastle United |
| Kian Yari MF | ENG | Altrincham, UK | St Ambrose | |
| Connor Bates MF | USA | Canton, MI | Shattuck-Saint Mary's | Shattuck-Saint Mary's |

### Transfers
## Roster

    As of October 18, 2019
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 00 | GK | ESP | Pau Ruiz |
| 0 | GK | USA | Gage Steiner |
| 1 | GK | USA | Michael Creek |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Connor Langan |
| 3 | DF | USA | Greg Stratton |
| 4 | DF | ITA | Giacomo Sala |
| 5 | DF | USA | Evan DeGreeff |
| 6 | DF | NZL | Ben Stroud |
| 7 | FW | ITA | Nicolo Mulatero |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Will Osgathorpe |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Matthew Bentley |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Josh Dolling |
| 11 | MF | MAS | Stuart Wilkin |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 12 | MF | NOR | Aadne Bruseth |
| 14 | FW | ESP | Jon Koka |
| 15 | MF | SCO | Samuel Joyce |
| 16 | DF | SWE | Hugo Jönsson |
| 17 | FW | USA | Ian Jones |
| 18 | MF | NZL | Zac Newdick |
| 19 | MF | ENG | Jack Denton |
| 20 | MF | ENG | Kian Yari |
| 21 | DF | CAN | Kyle Hiebert |
| 22 | MF | USA | Connor Bates |
| 23 | DF | NZL | Sean Green |
| 26 | FW | USA | Dawson Lee |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Final |
| United Soccer | — | — | — | RV | RV | 19 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 16 |
| Top Drawer Soccer | — | — | — | — | RV | 24 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 17 |
| College Soccer News | — | — | — | RV | RV | 27 | 25 | 21 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Soccer America | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 |

## Season Statistics
### Goals

The leading goal scorer for Missouri State was Matthew Bentley who scored 15 goals during the season. He was the only player to score during the regular season and both MVC and NCAA Tournament. Josh Dolling finished the year with 7 goals in second. Stuart Wilkin rounded out the top three with 5 goals on the season.
| Rank | No. | Pos. | Player | Regular Season | MVC Tournament | NCAA Tournament | Total |
| 1 | 9 | FW | Matthew Bentley | 13 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 10 | FW | Josh Dolling | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | 11 | MF | Stuart Wilkin | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | 6 | DF | Ben Stroud | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | 17 | FW | Ian Jones | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | 7 | FW | Nicolo Mulatero | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 12 | MF | Aadne Bruseth | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | 8 | MF | Will Osgathorpe | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | 3 | DF | Greg Stratton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | 21 | DF | Kyle Hiebert | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | 16 | DF | Hugo Jonsson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 39 | 2 | 2 | 43 |
Last updated: August 19, 2020. Source: Missouri State Athletics

### Assists

| Rank | No. | Pos. | Player | Regular Season | MVC Tournament | NCAA Tournament | Total |
| 1 | 19 | MF | Jack Denton | 8 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | 10 | FW | Josh Dolling | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | 9 | FW | Matthew Bentley | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | 11 | MF | Stuart Wilkin | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | 3 | DF | Greg Stratton | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | 12 | MF | Aadne Bruseth | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 17 | FW | Ian Jones | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 8 | MF | Will Osgathorpe | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 21 | DF | Kyle Hiebert | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 26 | FW | Lee Dawson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | DF | Connor Langan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | 16 | DF | Hugo Jonsson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | 7 | FW | Nicolo Mulatero | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | 20 | MF | Kian Yari | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 37 | 2 | 1 | 40 |
Last updated: August 19, 2020. Source: Missouri State Athletics