DES MOINES, Iowa - A pair of first-half goals from Jack Roberts propelled Missouri State (7-3-1, 2-0 MVC) to a 2-0 men's soccer victory over Drake (5-5-2, 1-1 MVC) on Saturday (Oct. 12) at the Cownie Soccer Complex.

Roberts gave the Bears an early 1-0 advantage on the strength of his third goal of the season in the seventh minute (6:48) of the contest.  Roberts was able spin around the Drake defender and beat redshirt freshman goalkeeper Darrin MacLeod (Waterloo, Ontario/Resurrection Catholic) to the corner of the net for the score.

A defensive miscue in the middle third of the field enabled Andrew Turner to deliver a long pass into a sprinting Roberts in the box. Roberts got behind MacLeod to register this second tally of the evening at the 26:31 mark to give the Bears a 2-0 lead.

Shots were at a premium in the tilt as each side recorded seven. Drake maintained a 4-3 advantage in the first half, while Missouri State recorded an identical 4-3 margin over the final 45 minutes.

Redshirt freshman Ben LeMay's (Hugo, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) two-shot performance led the Bulldogs, while Roberts posted a game-high three shots for the Bears.

MacLeod and his counterpart in goal, Trevor Spangenberg, registered a save apiece in the affair.

Drake returns to action on Tuesday (Oct. 15) with a 2:30 p.m. non-conference showdown at Green Bay.