EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women's soccer team will look to get back into Missouri Valley Conference Tournament contention on Thursday night, as the Purple Aces will host the Drake Bulldogs at Arad McCutchan Stadium. Kick-off is set for 6:05 p.m.
Both Evansville and Drake enter Thursday night's match on the outside looking in towards the MVC Tournament field, as only the league's top eight will advance to the conference tournament this year. For both Drake and Evansville, a win on Thursday could catapult them back into the tournament field mix. Drake is just one point behind eighth-place UNI in the league standings, while UE sits five points behind UNI with three matches to play.
Evansville (1-8-4, 0-5-2 MVC) is trying to bounce back from Sunday's 3-0 loss to Valparaiso in which the Beacons used two first-half goals to lead the way to victory. For UE, it was a rare first-half showing defensively, as it marked just the third time in three years in which the Purple Aces conceded multiple first-half goals. Offensively, UE is also trying to snap a two-match scoreless streak, as the Purple Aces have not scored since fifth-year forward Emily Ormson's second-half goal against Southern Illinois in Evansville's last home match. UE has scored six of its seven goals at home this year, with Ormson leading the team and tying for the Valley lead with four goals scored.
Drake, meanwhile, stands at 2-7-5 overall and 1-2-3 in conference play. The Bulldogs dropped a 2-0 decision to UIC at home on Sunday. Like Evansville, generating opportunities offensively has been the biggest issue this year for the Bulldogs, as Drake ranks 11th in the conference in both shots (7.86) and shots on goal per game (3.50) in the Valley. Unlike Evansville, Drake has had success offensively on the road this year, as nine of its 13 goals have been scored away from Des Moines, Iowa.
All-time, Drake leads the series over Evansville, 14-10-2, including a 4-0-2 mark over the last six meetings. It has been a closely contested series over the years, as 23 of the 26 all-time meetings have been decided by one goal or less. Thursday night's contest can be seen live on ESPN+.
