EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - With three matches remaining in the 2021 campaing, the University of Evansville men's soccer team hits a key stretch of their schedule beginning with a trip to Edwardsville, Ill. to take on SIUE at 7 PM on Wednesday night.
 

Evansville at SIUE | Wed., Oct. 27 | 7 PM
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Previewing the Matchup

• Meeting for the second time this season, the Aces and Cougars will renew their rivalry for the 24th time on Wednesday night with SIUE leading the all-time series, 13-6-4.
• Meeting earlier this season in Evansville, the Cougars captured a 4-0 win over the Aces on Sept. 29.
• The Aces enter Wednesday night's contest looking for their first win in the series since a 1-0 triumph over SIUE on Oct. 17, 2012. 
• Newly minted as an MVC member this season, SIUE enters the midweek matchup with a 4-8-2 overall record and a 2-5 mark in MVC action.
• The Cougars have lost back-to-back matches, including a 1-0 loss at Bradley on Saturday.

Last Match: No. 9 Missouri State 1, Evansville 0

• In an evenly played match, the University of Evansville men's soccer team battled closely with the ninth-ranked team in the nation, but fell, 1-0, to No. 9 Missouri State on Saturday evening at Arad McCutchan Stadium in Evansville, Ind.
• "It was a long week against three really good opponents. I give our guys credit for battling and fighting," said Evansville head men's soccer coach Marshall Ray. "We lost our way a little bit in the first part of the second half tonight and some of that is playing against a very good team in Missouri State and I think some of it is the fatigue that we felt after being on the road at Loyola to IU and now playing Missouri State at home. We've played better and we're putting ourselves in situations to compete in matches. We've got to rest and get prepared for SIUE and finish off with our three conference games and get ready for the postseason tournament."
• Junior Nkosi Graham and freshman Jose Vivas led the Evansville attack, each recording three shots with Vivas putting a team-best two on-goal on the evening. In goal, redshirt junior Jacob Madden turned-in an impressive performance, limiting a potent Missouri State attack with seven saves.
• The first half of action saw much of the attack lean in Evansville's favor as the Aces recorded a pair of great opportunities. In the 41st minute, Davis Peck received a ball in open space and dribbled into the box, firing a shot from 10 yards out that was blocked by a last ditch sliding effort by a Bears defender, keeping Evansville from scoring first. Just over a minute late, Evansville again challenged the Bears as Graham let loose a shot from 25 yards out that tested Missouri State Michael Creek, who eventually corralled the ball and made the save as the match went to the half scoreless.
• Missouri State gained much of the early possession in the second half as the Bears went on to out-shoot the Aces, 14-5, in the second 45 minutes. In the 60th minute, the Bears found the back of the net as Aadne Bruseth made a run down the right side, crossing ball to Josh Dolling, who finished it to give the Bears a 1-0 advantage. Evansville provided a couple of heart-stopping moments in the final five minutes with Vivas curling a long shot that just missed the far post and Pablo Guillen recording a chance from the top of the box, but the Aces were unable to force OT as the Bears captured a 1-0 win.

In the Driver's Seat

• The final 10 days of the season could feature plenty of movement across the MVC table.
• Evansville currently sits sixth with four points, but is just two points back of earning a home match for the MVC Championship quarterfinals.
• With three matches to play, Evansville's schedule puts them in the driver's seat, playing one match each against the three teams in front of it in the standings with a possibility still to finish as high as third in the standings.

 

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