The Purple Aces renewed a 2000’s non-conference series on Sunday night by returning to Memphis for the first time since 2011. UE and the Tigers regularly played one another from 2003 to 2007 after occasional matches in the late 1980s and mid-1990s. But the two programs have not seen each other in 13 years with Evansville returning to the Bluff City for the first time since 2007. The Aces currently hold a 6-3-2 series lead and won the most recent match-up 2-1 in overtime.
The Memphis Tigers come into Sunday evening’s match having dropped their season opener to the Lipscomb Bison 2-1. The Tigers fell behind early in their home opener against the Bison and were never quite able to get back within striking distance despite a goal in the 59th minute. Memphis was tabbed third in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history. In 2023 the Tigers finished 11-6-2 on the year and earned a 2nd-consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Aces picked up their first season-opening win in five years on Thursday night in a 2-1 victory over the Bellarmine Knights. UE’s win on Thursday was also the program’s first season-opening win at a road location in 20 years. Evansville last opened the season with a true road win beating Wisconsin 2-1 on September 3rd, 2004.
Sophomore midfielder Baraka Tarleton picked up his first collegiate goal along with the first Aces goal of the season against Bellarmine. In the 58th minute, Tarleton followed up on a shot rebound from senior forward Edward Mendy that made it past Knight’s goalkeeper Tudor Iordan. UE’s game-winning goal came from senior forward Nacho Diaz Barragan just minutes after Bellarmine tied up the match. Graduate forward Sami Owusu (Denver / Dayton) dropped off the ball to junior defender Nacho Diaz-Caneja (Coruna Spain / Oregon State) near the left sideline, and his cross found the head of Diaz Barragan near the back post for the go-ahead goal.
