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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In a match between the top offensive and defensive teams in the Missouri Valley Conference, the defensive side prevailed, as Missouri State shutout the University of Evansville men's soccer team for just the third time this season in a 1-0, double-overtime victory at Arad McCutchan Stadium Saturday night.
 
In a contest that was scoreless for 108 minutes, Jack Griffin gave Missouri State (8-3-2, 3-0-0 MVC) the win by putting in a shot from 20 yards out with just two minutes remaining in the game.  Jack Wood set up the game-winner by collecting a ball inside the box and playing it back to Griffin, who then drilled the shot inside the far post.
 
"I was telling the guys after the match, that soccer can be a cruel game from the standpoint that you can have one team play well and lose or tie, and I think it was a great match, and unfortunately one team had to be the winner and the other the loser," head coach Mike Jacobs said.  "I give a lot of credit to Missouri State and its coaching staff, because their players grind it out, they are stingy defensively and they made the most of the opportunities they had."
 
Evansville (8-4-1, 1-2-0 MVC) outshot the Bears, 19-12, and put seven shots on goal, but MSU goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg turned away all seven chances en route to the clean sheet.
 
The Aces created a majority of the scoring chances early in the match, as UE attempted five of the game's first six shots and continued to apply pressure throughout much of the half.
 
UE got off nine shots to Missouri State's two in the opening stanza, as the match remained scoreless at the intermission.
 
"Some people may say that we were unlucky, but I think you create your own luck," Jacobs said.  "I think that if we finish some of those early scoring chances, that maybe this match doesn't get to overtime.  I don't think we were unlucky, I just think we created some scoring chances and didn't execute.  I think that had a lot to do with how well they defended and I give a lot of credit to Missouri State's defense."
 
Both goalkeepers were tested on 1-v-1 chances in the second half and were equal to the task.  Spangenberg was able to deflect a shot by junior Dylan Terry to the left of the goal in the 53rd minute, before Evansville goalkeeper Eric Teppen made a diving save on a shot by Emmerich Hoegg and was helped out by the crossbar on the rebound on a header by Phil Woods in the 74th minute.
 
After 90 minutes of scoreless soccer, the match headed to overtime and the Aces were able to keep the Bears from attempting a shot in the first extra 10 minutes, before conceding the game-winner in the second overtime frame.
 
"To go 108 minutes and lose, it really tells you how tough our defense," Jacobs said.  "I don't think you defend with just three or four guys, I think you defend with all 11, and I think we defended very well in all three thirds of the field."
 
Sophomore Faik Hajderovic led UE with four shots on the night, while fellow sophomore Mark Anthony Gonzalez and Terry attempted three each.  Jack Roberts led all players with five shots for MSU.
 
Evansville will step out of MVC play when it returns to action Wednesday night, as the Aces will travel to Bloomington, Ind., for a 6 p.m. match with in-state rival Indiana.