BOX SCORE

PEORIA, Ill. – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team could not overcome an early two-goal deficit and dropped its first Missouri Valley Conference decision of the year, as the Purple Aces fell 2-0 to Bradley Saturday night in Peoria, Ill.
 
In a match that featured 38 shots, UE (7-5-0, 1-1-0 MVC) and BU (8-4-2, 2-1-0 MVC) put only six shots on goal, but Jason Lesch and Wojciech Wojcik scored on two of Bradley’s three offerings on frame to propel the Braves to the win.
 
Both squads got of their fair share of shots in the first half, as the Braves and Aces combined for 22 first-half tries.  However, Bradley was able to convert on two of their attempts and take a 2-0 lead after 45 minutes of action.
 
Jason Lesch scored his second goal of the second in the 32nd minute, stealing the ball from UE goalkeeper Eric Teppen and putting it in the back of an empty net from 15 yards.  Two and a half minutes later, Wojciech Wojcik doubled the Braves’ advantage, scoring off a rebound on a shot that caromed off the goalpost.  Grant Bell and Alexei Davis-Campbell were credited with assists on the play.
 
Evansville earned a pair of corner kicks in the final six minutes of the half, but could not covert, as BU keeper Brian Billings saved a shot from Dylan Terry in the final 20 seconds of the opening stanza to keep the margin at 2-0.
 
UE continued to fire away in the second half, taking 11 shots to the Braves five, but Bradley kept the Aces off the scoreboard to record the shutout and give Billings his fourth clean sheet of the season.
 
Charlie Macias led all players with five shots, Alex Kapsalis fired four and Mark Anthony Gonzalez added three.  In goal, Teppen made a save, as the loss dropped his record to 7-5-0 on the season.
 
The Aces will return to Arad McCutchan Stadium for their next two matches, as they will host conference foes SIU Edwardsville and Central Arkansas.  UE will take on the Cougars Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m., prior to taking on the Bears next Saturday night at 7 p.m.