EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Two of the three teams tied atop the Missouri Valley Conference women’s soccer standings will meet Sunday afternoon, when Evansville travels to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on Drake at 1 p.m. in a key league matchup.
 
The Aces (2-6-3, 1-0-1 MVC) enter Sunday’s contest unbeaten in their last four matches, earning an impressive 4-1 victory over preseason Valley favorite Illinois State and a trio of ties with Southeast Missouri State, Xavier and Missouri State.  Last Sunday, UE played to a scoreless tie with the Bears, as freshman goalkeeper Simone Busby stopped nine shots and Abby Springer and Allie Arguello just missed scored game-winning goals in the first overtime period.
 
Springer leads Evansville with nine points on the season, scoring four goals and adding an assist.  Junior Stephanie Thompson is currently second on the team with six points on two goals and a pair of assists, while freshman Kayla Smith has contributed five points with a pair of goals and one assist.  In goal, Busby has started the last five games for the Aces, going 1-0-3 in that span.  On the year, the Chattanooga, Tenn., native has stopped 29 shots and leads the conference with a 0.37 goals against average and .935 save percentage.
 
Drake (10-3-1, 1-0-1 MVC) saw its nine-game unbeaten streak come to an end Wednesday afternoon in Macomb, Ill., as the Bulldogs dropped a 1-0 decision to Western Illinois.  As a team, Drake has outscored opponents 22-12 and posted five shutouts.  The Bulldogs rank second in the league in nearly every offensive category and lead the MVC in goals allowed (0.85) and goals against average (0.83).  In Valley play, DU defeated Missouri State, 3-0, in its conference opener, before playing Northern Iowa to a 1-1 tie in Cedar Falls last Thursday.
 
Ashlie Stokes leads Drake offensively with 14 points on six goals and a pair of assists.  Generve Charles has also reached the double-digit point plateau, scoring 11 points in five goals and one assist.  Three other DU players have scored at least twice and Brittany Schuling has dished out a team-high five assists.  Kalena Litch has played every minute in goal for Drake, making 65 saves.  Litch boasts a 0.84 goals against average and ranks second in the MVC with five shutouts.
 
In the all-time series, the Bulldogs hold an 8-6 advantage over the Purple Aces, but Evansville defeated Drake in both meetings last season.  UE topped DU, 3-0, in the regular-season meeting and bested the Bulldogs, 1-0, in the quarterfinals of the MVC Tournament.