EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women's soccer team will wrap up the non-conference portion of its schedule on Thursday night, as the Purple Aces will host the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers at Arad McCutchan Stadium in Evansville.
Evansville will bring a 0-3-2 overall record into Thursday's contest. The Purple Aces have dropped the last three matches overall, after falling on the road at Lipscomb on Sunday night. Defensively, Evansville still ranks sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference in goals against average at 1.20, while goalkeepers Myia Danek and Georgia Katsonouri have combined to rank 59th nationally in saves per match at 5.40.
Evansville will also enter Thursday's match with the rare distinction of being the least foul-prone side in the country, as UE has been whistled for a nation-low 3.60 fouls per contest. Overall, UE has been whistled for just 18 total fouls through five matches this year.
Western Kentucky will bring a 1-1-4 overall record into Thursday night's match. After dropping a 5-1 decision at nationally-ranked Xavier on August 27, the Hilltoppers have opened the month of September with back-to-back scoreless draws. WKU goalkeeper Maddie Davis has played all 540 minutes in goal this year for the Hilltoppers, and she ranks 19th in the country with three shutouts this season.
Thursday's match will also mark another homecoming for a former Evansville Memorial High School product, as senior defender Annah Hopkins is a Memorial High School product. Hopkins teamed with UE junior forward Ryleigh Anslinger to help the Tigers to a Class 2A state title in 2017.
WKU leads the all-time series over UE, 8-2-1, with Thursday's match being the first meeting since 2018 between the two sides. Evansville's last win in the series came exactly 16 years ago on September 7, as UE posted a 3-0 win over WKU in Evansville on September 7, 2007 under the direction of current head coach Chris Pfau in his first stint as head coach of the Purple Aces.
