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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville men's soccer team will open Missouri Valley Conference play Saturday at 2 p.m., when it hosts Drake at Arad McCutchan Stadium.  The Purple Aces enter their MVC opener having won their last five matches, including a pair of victories over nationally-ranked foes Saint Louis and Butler.
 
Evansville (6-2-1) won its fifth-straight game Tuesday night by scoring three unanswered goals in a 3-1 victory over No. 16 Butler.  After the Bulldogs netted the first goal of the contest in the 28th minute, sophomore Nate Opperman scored the equalizer in the 41st minute, before sophomore Mark Anthony Gonzalez and junior Dylan Terry capped the scoring with goals in the 72nd and 79th minutes, respectively.  Junior goalkeeper Eric Teppen was impressive between the posts, making eight saves, including a second-half stop on a Butler penalty kick that kept Evansville's advantage at two goals.
 
Sophomore Faik Hajderovic leads the Aces with 14 points and tallied two more assists in Tuesday's win to up his NCAA-leading total to 10.  Gonzalez scored his fourth game-winner of the year Tuesday for his team-leading sixth goal of the year.  Terry ranks third on the squad with nine points on three goals and three assists, while freshman Jared Robinson has racked up seven points on a pair of goals and three helpers.  In goal, Teppen owns a 1.27 goals against average with a .806 save percentage and 50 saves, a mark that ranks him in the top 15 nationally.
 
As a team, UE has outscored its opponents, 19-14, and has found the back of the net 15 in its last five matches.  Evansville is also outshooting is opposition, 174-141, and has put 84 shots on frame for a .483 shot on goal percentage.  The Aces are among the nation's leaders in both points (65) and assists (27), as they entered Tuesday's contest ranked 13th and sixth nationally in those categories.
 
Drake (4-3-2) opened its season with a 0-3-1 mark, but is unbeaten in its last five matches, including four-straight shutouts.  The Bulldogs began their streak with a 4-3 victory over Nebraska Omaha and a scoreless draw with DePaul, before rattling off three-consecutive 1-0 wins over No. 14 New Mexico, UMKC and Western Illinois.  The Drake defense has not allowed a goal since inserting redshirt freshman Darrin MacLeod in goal, a span that has covered 380 minutes.
 
Offensively, Danton Irelan leads the Bulldogs with seven points on three goals and an assist, while Jarred Arde and Nick Marshall have each tallied six points on two goals and two assists.  Addison Eck and Bryan Jantsch are tied for fourth on the team with four points apiece.  In goal, Rich Gallager started Drake's first five matches, allowing 15 goals in 443:23 for a 3.04 goals against average and .615 save percentage.  MacLeod has yet to allow a goal in his six appearances, including his first four collegiate starts and enters Saturday's match with 23 saves in 406:37.
 
As a team, the Bulldogs have been outscored, 15-11, and outshot, 139-122.  Drake has put 55 of its 122 shots on frame for a .451 shot on goal percentage and has earned 42 corner kicks.  The Bulldogs have averaged 13.6 shots per game on the year, while Drake's opponents have fired 15.4 per contest.
 
Saturday afternoon will mark the 25th meeting between Evansville and Drake, with the Bulldogs holding a 12-10-2 advantage in the all-time series.  Drake has had the Aces' number over the last 12 contests, as the Bulldogs are 10-1-1 against UE in those meetings, with Evansville's lone win coming in 2009, when it posted a 1-0 win at McCutchan Stadium.  Last season, the two sides played to a 2-2 draw in Des Moines, Iowa during the regular season, before Drake defeated the Aces, 2-1, in the MVC Tournament on a game-winning goal that came with less than 25 seconds remaining in the match.