The Purple Aces began an early season win streak with the 3-0 victory
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – An early lead helped the University of Evansville men’s soccer team cruise to a 3-0 win over the Memphis Tigers on Sunday evening.
Senior forward Nacho Diaz Barragan (Almeria, Spain) added goals two and three of the year in the second half to help the Purple Aces to their second win in as many games. Junior defender Nacho Diaz Caneja (Coruña, Spain / Oregon State) also put up a goal for UE in Sunday’s 3-0 victory over the Tigers, helping Evansville to an early lead with a goal in the seventh minute. Freshman goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove HS) picked up the first clean sheet of his career, making six stops in the win.
The Aces got off to a hot start as senior midfielder Jose Vivas (Teruel, Spain) took the first shot of the game in less than 30 seconds. And UE kept the pressure going as Diaz Caneja found the back of the net in the seventh minute. Through traffic, Vivas poked out a cross to Diaz Caneja in front of the net that Diaz Caneja buried into the left side of the goal.
While Evansville wouldn’t find the back of the net again in the first half, the team did take the lead in shots five attempts to the Tigers two. It was a slower start to the second half for both teams after some fireworks near the end of the first half resulted in a yellow card for players on both sides. But it wasn’t long until the Aces found their offense again in the 62nd minute.
Diaz Barragan found his way around the Tigers goalkeeper after an initial blocked shot. The second attempt went into the top left corner of the net for his first unassisted goal of the season. Just 11 minutes later Diaz Barragan scored his third goal of the season for his first brace of the year.
In the 73rd minute of the game, fifth-year forward Kai Phillip took a free kick from the right line of the penalty area that found Diaz Barragan just past the penalty arc. Diaz Barragan then buried the cross with his right foot into the bottom right corner of the net. In the final 17 minutes of the game, Mroz faced nine shots with three saves to keep it a shutout for UE.
Evansville is currently off to its best start since the 2017 season when the Aces began the year with four straight wins. UE will try to add win number three in a week against Southern Indiana on Sunday, September 1st. Along with hosting the Mayor’s Cup, Evansville will celebrate the program’s 50th season next weekend. Kickoff for Sunday’s match is set for 7 p.m
