SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - For the second-straight season, the University of Evansville men's soccer team sits one match away from an NCAA Tournament berth when it battles top-seeded and 23rd-ranked Missouri State at 1 PM on Sunday afternoon in Springfield, Mo. in the MVC Championship Final.
Evansville has earned its spot in its second-straight MVC Championship final with timely goals and an stifling defense. The Aces opened the 2022 MVC Championship with a 1-0 win over SIUE on Nov. 6 with the game-winner coming off the foot of sophomore Jose Vivas in the 74th minute. On Thursday, it took a similar defensive effort to shutout the No. 5 seed Belmont Bruins as a 65th-minute stunner from outside the box from freshman Ola Arntsen propelled Evansville to the final with a 1-0 win. Artsen's goal was viewed nearly 100,000 times on social media and featured as Thursday's No. 1 play on SportsCenter's Top 10.
On the flip side, No. 1 seed and host Missouri State received a bye to the semifinals of the championship, where the Bears faced No. 7 seed Bradley, who pulled a quarterfinal upset over No. 2 seed Drake. In the semifinals, Missouri State overwhelmed the Braves, owning a 30-1 advantage on shots, and scoring once in both the first and second halves to earn the 2-0 win and a berth in its fourth-straight final.
The two sides met just once earlier this season in a wild match that ended in a 4-3 win for Missouri State in Springfield. Tied at one at the half, the two sides proceeded to score four goals in a seven-minute span starting in the 61st minute. With the match tied at three, Missouri State slipped a ball across the face of goal in the 81st minute that an Aces defender deflected into the back of the net, scoring what would be the game-winner for the Bears.
This season, the Bears have allowed just nine combined goals across 16 matches. Just two teams have scored multiple goals in a match against MSU; Tulsa, in a 3-0 win over the Bears that is the only loss of the season for Missouri State, and Evansville, in their lone meeting this season.
Evansville is looking for its first MVC title since capturing the 1996 MVC Tournament crown. 1996 also represents the Aces last NCAA Tournament berth, something that is also on the line on Sunday afternoon.
- INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville athletics, log on to the sport page on GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics.
- TICKETS: To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page
- SUPPORT: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the SUPPORT tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.
