UE men’s soccer to celebrate 50th anniversary against USI

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The University of Evansville men’s soccer team will play its first home match of 2024 against its crosstown rival on Sunday night.

The Purple Aces are off to their best start since 2017 after picking up back-to-back wins to begin the 2024 season. UE shutout the Memphis Tigers 3-0 in their first trip to the Buff City since 2011 on Sunday night. Powered by two goals from senior forward Nacho Diaz Barragan (Almeria, Spain), Evansville heads into this weekend’s match with a perfect record.Southern Indiana is looking for their first win and their first Mayor’s Cup on Sunday night. The Screaming Eagles dropped a heartbreaker Thursday, falling in the final four seconds, 3-2, to the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. Freshman midfielder Ahiro Nakamae currently leads USI on offense and is the first freshman to have three goals in his first three matches since Eric Ramirez in 2016.

Thanks to his offensive effort in the first week of the season, Diaz Barragan was named the MVC Offensive Player of the Week. It was Diaz Barragan’s fourth time being named Player of the Week and the first since the 2022 season. After a week of play, Diaz Barragan helps lead the Missouri Valley Conference in goals per game (1.50) along with being in the Top three in points per game (3.00), shot accuracy (83.3%), shots on goal per game (2.50), total goals (3.00), and total points (6.00)

Freshman goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove HS) continues to impress after two games in the net for the Aces. Mroz notched the first clean sheet of his collegiate career on Sunday against the Tigers. Mroz is second in the Valley in save percentage (90.0%) and saves per game (4.5) while being third in shutouts (1) and total saves (9).

On Sunday night the Aces will celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary during the Mayor’s Cup. Alumni from across the program’s 50th year will be recognized during halftime on Sunday.