Box Score


EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville men's soccer team saw its five-match winning streak come to an end Saturday afternoon at Arad McCutchan Stadium, as visiting Drake scored four unanswered goals top the Purple Aces, 4-1, in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both squads. 
 
Junior Patrick Hodges scored the lone goal for Evansville (6-3-1, 0-1-0 MVC) by heading in a corner kick service from sophomore Faik Hajderovic in the eighth minute, but Drake (5-3-2, 1-0-0 MVC) scored four-straight goals, including a hat trick by Thomas Schermoly to earn the victory.
 
The Aces outshot the Bulldogs, 21-9, and attempted nine corner kicks to Drake's one, but Bulldogs used an efficient counter attack to put five of their shots on frame.
 
UE got off to a quick start and nearly scored in the opening minutes, when senior Brandon Causey hit the cross bar with a header on a free kick service from Hajderovic, before Hodges gave Evansville the 1-0 lead on his second goal of the year.
 
Schermoly capped the scoring in the first half by evening the score at 1-1 with a goal in the 26th minute.  Schermoly started the chance by collecting a failed clearance, before dribbling around an Evansville defender and slotting the ball inside the far post from six yards out.
 
The Aces outshot the Bulldogs, 11-5, in the opening stanza and attempted all six first-half corner kicks.
 
Schermoly gave Drake the lead early in the second half, when he collected his second goal of the match in the 49th minute.  Schermoly received a long pass that was played over the UE defense on a Bulldog counter attack, before dribbling up the left side of the field and once again putting a shot inside the back post.
 
Danton Ireland added an insurance goal for Drake in the 58th minute by heading in a cross from Bryan Jantsch and Schermoly completed his hat trick when he headed home a free kick off the foot of Brandon Welter in the 80th minute.
 
Hodges and freshman Jared Robinson led Evansville's offense with four shots each, while Hajderovic attempted three shots.  Junior goalkeeper Eric Teppen made just one save in the match, while his counterpart Darin MacLeod turned away six shots for the Bulldogs.
 
The Aces will be away from their home filed for the first time in six matches, when they return to action Tuesday night at Kentucky.  Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. in Lexington, Ky.