MADISON, Wis. – The University of Evansville men's soccer team came up short in a 2-1 loss to No. 13 Wisconsin on Tuesday night.
The Aces opened the match creating the first opportunity in the fourth minute, as Patrik Fagan sent a shot wide left. Wisconsin responded with an off-target attempt in the eighth minute, and the teams traded chances throughout a defensive first half. The Badgers held a 4-2 advantage in shots at the break, with neither team recording a shot on goal.
Evansville came out aggressively in the second half, putting two shots on goal in the opening three minutes, both of which were saved by the Wisconsin goalkeeper.
The Aces broke the scoreless tie in the 51st minute when Devin Shepherd headed home a cross from Carlos Iglesias. Michael Peres initiated the play from midfield, finding Iglesias down the right side of the pitch before Iglesias sent a cross from the bottom corner of the box. The goal marked Shepherd's third of the season and moved him into a tie with Alejandro Fernandez and Pablo Calvete for the team lead. Peres and Iglesias were credited with assists on the play, marking the first career assist for Iglesias and first career point for Peres.
Wisconsin answered four minutes later, tying the match at 1-1 with a long-range goal from just outside the box into the top-left corner. The Badgers continued applying pressure following the equalizer, recording eight shots over the next eight minutes. Hugo Amo made two saves during the stretch to keep the match even.
Both teams were able to generate several opportunities in the final 10 minutes. Fagan had two chances for the Aces, while Amo made a pair of saves denying Wisconsin of a goal. In the final minute, the Badgers converted a penalty kick to take the 2-1 victory.
With the loss, Evansville falls to 3-8-2 overall while remaining 2-1-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Aces return to the road Saturday for their next MVC match against UIC in Chicago.
