EVANSVILLE – There will be serious Missouri Valley Conference Championship implications in play on Thursday evening as the University of Evansville women's soccer team will take on Missouri State in Springfield, Mo.
UE vs. Missouri State (Thursday, 6 p.m.): Live Stats |
The Valley on ESPN3 |
MSU Website
The Aces (4-11-1, 3-2-0 MVC) will be looking to earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament, and while there are many scenarios in play, the simplest way to secure the No. 2 overall seed is to pick up a win on Thursday. However, there are still multiple ways that the Aces could earn the second seed in the event of a draw or loss, but that would depend on the results of the other teams in action on Thursday evening.
In the day's other games, regular season champion Illinois State is hosting Northern Iowa, and Loyola is playing host to Drake. Both Loyola and Northern Iowa will be aiming to claim the second seed as well.
The tenuous tournament positioning isn't in play for just UE in the match in Springfield either as the Bears (5-8-3, 1-3-1) are currently at the foot of the league standings. However, a win or draw against the Aces could help the team earn its berth into the tournament.
UE will be looking to bounce back in the contest after dropping a heart-breaker to Illinois State over the weekend. After taking an early 1-0 lead over the visiting Redbirds at Arad McCutchan Stadium, ISU found the back of the net twice in the final seven minutes to snatch the regular season championship.
Colleen Dierkes scored for the Aces in the match, marking her second goal of the season, and the duo of Bronwyn Boswell and Montana Portenier were certainly involved in pushing the game forward the Aces, even if they didn't find a way onto the scoresheet. The strike partnership has been key all season for the Aces, with Boswell leading the team with six goals, and Portenier chipping in a pair of goals and assists.
Defensively, the Aces were able to snuff out a number of Redbird chances before they finally broke through, and that was due in large part to a backline led by all-conference defender Emily Richardson and goalkeeper Whitney Biggs.
Kickoff on Thursday from Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium is slated for 6 p.m.
NOTES: Bronwyn Boswell is two goals away from moving into a tie for seventh on UE's all-time scoring list … The Aces are 14-7-5 all-time against Missouri State … Last season, the Aces earned a 1-0 decision over the Bears at Arad McCutchan Stadium, with former Ace Allie Arguello slotting home a 22
nd-minute penalty for the match's lone goal … Prior to that, the two sides settled for four consecutive draws, including 1-1 affair in the 2013 conference tournament that saw the Aces advance 6-5 on penalties … UE is riding a six-match unbeaten run against the Bears overall … The Aces are 4-0-1 all-time on Oct 27, which actually includes wins over MSU in both 2011 and 1996.
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