EVANSVILLE, Ind. - For the first time since 2014, the University of Evansville men's soccer team welcomes a top five team in to Arad McCutchan Stadium as the Purple Aces face No. 2 Indiana on Friday evening.
" I think we're going to have to be prepared, we're going to have to be focused, we're going to have to be sure of what our game plan is and be able to stick to that and compete for 90 minutes," said Aces' men's soccer head coach Marshall Ray. "Otherwise, IU's the No. 2 team in the country and went to the national final last year. If we don't do those things, it could be a long evening for us. But, its an opportunity for our guys to step up, compete on a a national level and that's why they come here to play and hopefully we can do the things we need to do to make a competitive match for ourselves."
The last time the Aces took on a top five team at home was a similar situation. On October 29, 2014, Evansville played host to the second-ranked Hoosiers, falling in the late season match, 2-0, at Arad McCutchan Stadium.
A rivalry rich with history, the Aces and Hoosiers are meeting for the 37th time on Saturday with Indiana holding a 29-4-3 advantage all-time. The two sides met last season on October 3 at Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. where IU grabbed a 4-0 win over UE. Evansville's four wins in the series came during a five-season stretch from 1985-90 that saw the Aces amass 112 wins and advance to a pair of NCAA College Cups. The last time Evansville defeated Indiana was on November 25, 1990 when UE captured a 1-0 triumph over the Hoosiers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Three of the Aces' four wins over Indiana have taken place in Evansville, including UE's last three wins in the series. Apart from Evansville's 1-0 win in 1990, UE also earned wins over IU in 1988 (1-0) and twice in 1985 (3-0 and 3-0).
UE vs. No. 2 Indiana (Friday, 6 p.m.): Live Stats |
Indiana Website
Entering the weekend, Indiana holds a 6-1 overall record and is currently on a six-match winning streak after losing its season-opener on the road at No. 1 Wake Forest, 2-1, in double-overtime. Already this season, IU has faced five nationally ranked teams. The Hoosiers are led offensively by senior defender Andrew Gutman, who's scored five times and recorded two assists for Indiana in 2018. Helping to aid the Hoosiers' attack, redshirt senior midfielder Trevor Swartz sits second in the nation in assists with seven through six matches. Between the posts, Indiana relies on sophomore goalkeeper Trey Muse, who holds a 0.59 goals-against average, with 18 saves and just four goals allowed.
Friday's match is a purple out and features a t-shirt exchange. Fans can exchange an IU t-shirt at Arad McCutchan Stadium for a complimentary Aces t-shirt.
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