EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville men's soccer team secured a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title with a 2-1 victory over Belmont on Wednesday night at Arad McCutchan Stadium. The Aces earned their second consecutive regular season title and secured the No. 2 seed in the MVC Tournament, along with a first-round bye.
MVC Men's Soccer Championship Central
"I'm happy to win a title, but we are excited to compete for a conference tournament title starting at home this Wednesday," said head coach Robbe Tarver.
Evansville shares the regular season title with Bowling Green, as both teams finished conference play with 5-1-0 records and 15 points. Bowling Green earned the No. 1 seed in the MVC Tournament by virtue of its head-to-head victory over the Aces during the regular season. Both teams receive a first-round bye and advance directly to the semifinals.
The Aces faced an early deficit after Belmont found the back of the net in the 11th minute. The Bruins continued to pressure Evansville, recording four shots over the next 20 minutes. Hugo Amo made three saves during the stretch to keep the deficit at one.
Evansville found its rhythm late in the first half, outshooting Belmont 11-0 over the final 15 minutes. Ben Zec led the attack with four shots on goal, but the Aces were unable to find the equalizer before halftime.
The Aces continued to push after the break, and Marc Martin delivered the equalizer in the 72nd minute. Following a Belmont clearance of an Evansville corner kick, Martin sent the ball back toward goal, finding the back of the net for his second consecutive match with a goal.
Alejandro Fernandez put Evansville in front in the 84th minute, capitalizing on a deflected ball and sending it toward goal to give the Aces a 2-1 advantage.
Belmont threatened in the closing minutes with three shots on goal, but Amo saved all three attempts to preserve the victory and secure a share of the regular season title for Evansville.
The Aces finish the regular season with a 7-8-2 overall record and a 5-1-0 mark in MVC play. Evansville will host the MVC Tournament semifinal on Wednesday, November 11, at 6 p.m. CT at Arad McCutchan Stadium, facing the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 3 Western Michigan and No. 6 Drake.
Ticket information for the MVC Tournament semifinal can be found HERE.
