INDIANAPOLIS – A trio of quick strikes from the Butler attack on Tuesday night proved too much for the University of Evansville men's soccer team to handle as the Purple Aces dropped a 3-1 decision to the 10^th-ranked Bulldogs at the Butler Bowl.
 
"There's a reason Butler is the No. 10 team in the country," UE head coach Marshall Ray said. "For us to be able to compete in a match like this, I think we needed to have a little more energy early. I think we came out a little bit flat to start the match. We responded well in the second half, and tonight showed us that we still have a lot of work to do."
 
The loss marked the third of the season for the Aces, who fall to 4-3-1, while Butler improved to 6-0-1 overall.
 
The Bulldogs opened up the scoring with a heads-up play by David Goldsmith in the 10^th minute. The senior forward chased down a looping ball on the edge of the 18-yard box and was able to chip it over goalkeeper Frederik Reimer to put the hosts ahead.
 
That would be all the scoring that Butler would muster in the first half, but it'd take just 88 seconds to double the advantage in the second stanza. Goldsmith was once again involved, storming up the right flank before setting up Isaac Galliford for a volley from close range.
 
A scrum in the box in the 62^nd would also work in the Bulldogs' favor as an acrobatic miss managed to land at the feet of Lewis Suddick, who squeezed it into the net through a pair of UE defenders.
 
McGrath would pull one back for the Aces in the 81^st, hammering home a rebound to account for the final score. It marked the fourth goal of the season for the junior, which is tied for the team lead.
 
UE will return to conference action this weekend as the team will host Central Arkansas
 

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NOTES: UE has scored at least once in all eight matches this season. This year is the first time that's occurred since 2007 … The Aces are 14-12-0 all-time against Butler … Both sides have met in seven straight seasons, which includes a 3-2 Bulldog win in Evansville last year … In the last UE trip to Indianapolis, the Aces dropped a 2-1 overtime meeting … UE's last win in the series was 3-1 victory on Oct. 1, 2013, at Arad McCutchan Stadium. That was also the last time the Aces were taking on a Butler team that was ranked … The Butler series is one of the oldest in UE's history. The first meeting dates back to UE's first season in 1974 when the Aces came away with a 6-1 victory … UE is 42-60-6 all-time against schools that hail from the state of Indiana.
 
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