EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women's soccer team will wrap up the 2022 season on Thursday night, as the Purple Aces will do battle with long-time Missouri Valley Conference rival Illinois State on "Senior Night" at Arad McCutchan Stadium. Kick-off is set for 6:05 p.m.
Evansville will honor eight members of the 2022 team with "Senior Night" festivities prior to Thursday's match. Fifth-year team members Emily Ormson, Reilly Paterson and Abby Phelps, along with seniors Kristen Harvey, Emilie Hill, Monique Landrum, Isabel Lynch, and Sophia Rodil will be honored prior to Thursday's match.
Ormson is wrapping up a storied career, as she enters Thursday's match ranked 11th all-time at Evansville in scoring with 18 goals. She needs just one more goal on Thursday night to move into a tie for ninth on UE's career goals chart, with eighth-place being just two goals away.
Paterson played in seven of UE's eight matches of the COVID-shortened spring season of 2021, but was hampered by injuries last fall. She has come back this year though to play in four matches for UE, firing a shot in UE's match at UIC earlier this month. Meanwhile, Phelps is wrapping up a career in which she has played 58 matches in UE's midfield, and has earned honorable mention all-MVC honors (Spring 2021) and MVC All-Freshman Team honors (2018) as a Purple Ace.
Harvey and Hill have been mainstays in the UE lineup over the last four years, with each planning to graduate this spring. Harvey earned MVC All-Freshman Team honors in 2019, and has played in 58 matches with 44 starts in the UE midfield. Hill, meanwhile, has started 56 matches in the UE defense over the last four years, while earning a pair of honorable mention all-MVC honors as a center back.
Landrum, Lynch and Rodil all have one more year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID year, and each is expected to return next fall, but they wanted to walk during "Senior Night" festivities with the group that they came in with.
Evansville will enter Thursday's match at 1-9-5 overall and 0-6-3 in the MVC after dropping a 2-1 decision on Sunday at Belmont. Playing close matches has been the theme for UE this year, as the Purple Aces have played 12 one-goal matches this season, the most in the MVC. UE's record could be much different if one or two bounces went Evansville's way, as the Purple Aces are 1-6-5 in those one-goal matches, with four of the six losses coming in the final 12 minutes of regulation. Ormson currently leads UE offensively with five goals, earning her fifth from the penalty spot at Belmont on Sunday.
Illinois State will enter Thursday's match at 2-13-1 overall and 0-7-1 in the Valley. Nine different Redbirds have scored so far this year, with junior forward Haley Glover and senior forward Allison Baker both notching three goals each to lead the way. Defense has been ISU's Achilles' heel this year, as the Redbirds have conceded 34 goals, the most in the MVC.
Thursday's game can be seen live on ESPN+.
