MARSHALL, Mo. - After competing for positioning in the Heart standings, the Missouri Baptist and Missouri Valley men's soccer teams each gained a single point for tonight's 0-0 finish.
Despite a scoreless result, the contest was not void of action. MBU was active in the early minutes, seeing the first shot by either side from Nate Boos, which was blocked by the opposing defense. Eroy Gonsalves had himself a chance in the 16th minute as well, but the shot sailed wide right.
Spartan keeper Sean Stone was under fire for a lot of the match, saving his first pair of shots in the 22nd and 24th minutes. The senior from London, England stopped another set of attempts from the Vikings towards the end of the opening period to keep the slate clean.
After the first 45 minutes of play, MVU appeared to be in control, posting four shots-on-goal to MBU's zero.
The second half saw more pressure from the attack of Missouri Baptist. Dejan Lakic had a couple of shots saved by the Viking goalie in the first 11 minutes of the period. Nate Boos, Noham Hamidi, and Cooper Powell each added a shot-on-goal in the remainder of regulation, none of which scored.
Stone, the eventual Man of the Match for his leadership and organization of the backline, added three more saves on his way to a sixth shutout on the year.
"A point on the road from a top four team is something you can't complain about," said Stone about tonight's outcome. "Playing a man down, we were dangerous on the counter. We can beat any team, we just have to be clinical."
The Spartans are currently riding their second six-game undefeated streak on the season, having started the year 3-0-3.
"I'm grateful to God," said Head Coach Roosevelt Peters. "Also for this six-game streak where we haven't lost. We were fighting for a maximum of 31 points. That's been taken down to a maximum of 29 obtainable for the season. We can only take what is in front of us. It was a tough match. I think they were very well-organized, a solid team, so we need to prepare for the next one the best way we can and try to go for three wins."
The road to a final conference total of 29 begins on Saturday at 3 p.m., when MBU Men's Soccer will face Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
