Boxscore

MACOMB, Ill. -- Ten matches into the season, with a 7-3-0 record, the University of Evansville men's soccer team is off to its best start since 1996.  Sophomore forward Tom Irvin provided all the offense that Evansville needed Friday, spoiling Western Illinois' home opener with a 1-0 victory.  

The Aces play again Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at Black Beauty Field against Lipscomb University.

The lone tally of the match came in the 65th minute when UE forward Tyler Crawford passed the ball to teammate Mike Luttrull, who slipped it past a Leatherneck defender to Irvin for his second goal of the season.

From there, UE's defensive unit of goalkeeper Alec Dufty and backs Kipp Erskine, Kieran Purcell, Reggie Edu and Justin Sass held off Western Illinois for the Aces' fifth shutout of the season. Dufty made a total of four saves, two in each half.  UE outshot the Leathernecks 11-8 in the match and took five corner kicks to Western’s three.

Coach Mike Jacobs' squad is off to the school's best start since the 1996 squad won 11 of its first 13 matches and went on to reach the NCAA Tournament.