Boxscore

PEORIA, Ill. -- The University of Evansville soccer team captured its first championship of 2009 Saturday night.  The Aces won the Hotels at Grand Prairie Bradley Soccer Classic, beating Western Michigan 2-0 after defeating Xavier in the first round Friday, 4-1.

Junior forward Tom Irvin earned tournament MVP honors after totaling five points Friday and adding another assist on Saturday.  He was joined on the all-tournament team by junior midfielder Robby Lynch, junior forward Tyler Kincaid and sophomore defender Justin Sass.  Host Bradley also went 2-0 in the tourney, but the Aces won it on goal differential.  Evansville outscored its opponents by five goals while Bradley outscored the same two teams by three goals.

UE is now 3-2 going into next weekend's ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic at UE's Black Beauty Field at Arad McCutchan Stadium.  Evansville plays IUPUI on Friday at 7:30 and Stony Brook on Sunday at 2:30. 

The Aces have a veteran team in 2009, but three newcomers combined for Saturday's first goal at 42:43.  Freshman Jesse Sharp and sophomore Aaron Henkle made the passes that set up Kincaid with his second goal of the weekend.  The transfer from St. Joseph's (Ind.) College scored on a header for what turned out to be the game-winner.

Lynch added the clincher for the Aces at 84:55, flicking in Irvin's long throw-in for his first goal of the year. 

The Aces outshot the Broncos 15-11, and sophomore Phil Boerger made five saves for UE to earn his second shutout of the season.  Evansville has now won three of its last four, with the only defeat in that stretch coming to number one ranked North Carolina. 

"The guys had a grind-it-out performance," said Coach Mike Jacobs.  "They played well against a very tough Western Michigan team that's well coached and well organized, and for our guys to tough out a gritty result like that speaks volumes about the character of our team."