EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team will end the 2011 season with its toughest opponent yet, taking on No. 2 Creighton in Omaha, Neb. Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT.
HISTORY LESSON
Evansville looks to make ground on the all-time series of which Creighton leads 20-3-1 and 13-1-0 in Omaha. UE’s lone road win came in the MVC Tournament in 1996. In their last meeting, the Jays topped UE, 2-1, in overtime at Arad McCutchan Stadium on Oct. 16, 2010.
CATCH THE ACTION
SCOUTING THE BLUEJAYS (15-2-0, 4-1-0 MVC)
Creighton moved up to the top spot in the NCAA’s official RPI ranking this week and are ranked second in the NSCAA poll. With one of the nation’s leading defenses, the Jays lead the NCAA in goals against average (0.23), save percentage (.926) and shutout percentage (.765), and have recorded 13 shutouts in 17 matches. Creighton has outscored its opponents 30-4 on the year and has allowed just one goal at home this fall. CU’s leading scorer, Ethan Finlay, leads the MVC with 11 goals and 27 points. Bruno Castro (4g, 6a, 14pts) and Jose Gomez (2g, 6a, 10pts) have also piloted the league’s leading offense that averages 1.40 goals per game. In net, Brian Holt owns a 0.23 GAA and .925 save percentage, while recording 49 saves and 12 shutouts in 17 matches. Holt has allowed just one goal in conference play.
SCOUTING THE PURPLE ACES (5-10-1, 0-5-1 MVC)
Evansville looks to snap an eight-match winless streak, coming off Tuesday’s 2-0 Senior Night loss to Western Illinois. On the season, junior
Jesse Sharp leads Evansville with four goals, including two game-winners, seven assists, and 15 points this fall, followed by freshman
Ryan Stallings with five goals, two assists and 12 points. Freshman
Dylan Terry and senior
Jarrett Robbins have each tallied two goals, as 16 of UE’s players have recorded points this season. Freshman goalkeeper
Eric Teppen has tallied three shutouts, 60 saves, and a 1.36 GAA in net.
CLOSE CALLS
Nine of UE’s 16 matches this season have been decided by no more than one goal, including four of the last five matches.
SPOILER ALERT
Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, the Purple Aces will not be going to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. However, Evansville can spoil a regular season championship for the Bluejays with a victory. Entering the last weekend of play, Creighton and Missouri State both own a 4-1 record, battling for the title.
SENIOR DAY RECAP
In the last home contest of the season, UE suffered a 2-0 loss to the visiting Western Illinois Leathernecks Tuesday night at Arad McCutchan Stadium. Evansville’s three senior players as well as senior support staff were honored before the match.
Aaron Henkle ( 1g, 1a, 3pts),
Tad Kreamalmeyer (1g, 1a, 3pts), and
Jarrett Robbins (2g, 1a, 5pts) have all played large roles for the Aces this season and throughout their careers. As freshmen, they became the first team to be ranked among the nation’s top 25 since 1996, knocking off three different nationally ranked opponents, as well as playing one of the nation’s toughest non-conference schedules. As sophomores, they advanced to the Missouri Valley Conference finals. In their final two seasons, they knocked off nationally ranked opposition in the University of Washington in 2010, and the University of Memphis this fall.
