BOX SCORE (PDF)
MACON, Ga. – The University of Evansville men's soccer team (2-0-0) utilized two, first half goals from sophomore midfielder Ian McGrath in a 3-2 exhibition victory at Mercer (0-1-0) on Thursday afternoon. McGrath scored in the 11th and 19th minutes as UE added a goal and withstood a Mercer late rally for the one goal win.
"We took on a good opponent on the road and were able to finish off the match," said Marshall Ray, Evansville's head coach. "We came out and created several good opportunities in the first half. Ian took his chances well and provided a spark for us."
McGrath recorded the first goal off a pass from freshman defender Kyle Brown for the goal and 1-0 lead. He added to the Mercer deficit eight minutes later. His strike from roughly 35 yards out was buried in the lower right corner of the net for the two goal advantage.
"Overall, I thought this was a great test for our team," added McGrath. "We went into the game with the right mentality and converted out chances early…it was a good team win."
Ahead 2-0, UE junior defender Ryan Koenig fed a 35th minute cross to freshman forward Mikey Matic for the header and 3-0 edge.
Evansville kept Mercer down thanks to three opening half saves from sophomore goalkeeper Matthew Keller. The Bears broke the shutout with a goal in the 54th minute and cut the deficit to one with another goal in the 88th minute.
"Credit Mercer, they came out in the second half and gave us everything we could handle," added Ray. "We will regroup and prepare for our last preseason match. I am proud of the guys for their effort."
McGrath, who totaled one goal last season, produced two goals on five shots in the contest. Keller notched six saves in 61:50 in net.
Evansville's next home match is at home on Sunday, August 23 against IUPUI. The exhibition contest will be held at Arad McCutchan Stadium and start at 5:00 p.m. CDT.
For all of the latest information on University of Evansville men's soccer, log on to the sport page on GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthleticsMSOC. For more information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com . To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page.
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