The Purple Aces took 20 shots for the first time since 2018 on Thursday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Despite a six-year high offensive performance the University of Evansville women’s soccer team couldn’t find the tying goal in a 1-0 loss to the Illinois State Redbirds.
With 20 shots through 90 minutes on Thursday night, the Purple Aces had their best offensive performance since September of 2018. But UE couldn’t figure out Illinois State goalkeeper Madi Valenti who saved eight attempts from Evansville. Sophomore midfielder Ella Hamner (Evansville, Ind. / Memorial HS) led the Aces with five attempts on the night and three landing on goal.
The first half was all UE as they held Illinois State without a shot through 45 minutes. Evansville racked up nine shots with four chances on net in the first half with multiple chances from Hamner, forward Taylor Johnson (Evansville, Ind. / Reitz HS), and defender Emmy Brenner (Arlington, Tenn. / St. Benedict at Auburndale HS). The Aces best stretch on offense in the first came in the first 18 minutes as Hamner struck from the top of the box, forcing a diving save by Valenti.
Four of UE’s shots in the first half were blocked while three four others landed on net. But it was a slower start in the second half as the Redbirds picked up their first two shots of the match in the first five minutes. Evansville almost had a goal in the 51st minute as Hamner found herself with the ball at the top of the arc. Hamner quickly fired with her right foot aiming for the top half of the goal, but Valenti made the leaping save to push the ball over the top of the net.
Spurred by the save Illinois State scored the lone goal of the match in the 54th minute off a free kick just past the center circle that found a Redbird attacker at the top of the goal box for the score. The Aces answered with a close shot just four minutes later from Brenner that was just high over the net. But the momentum swung back in Illinois State’s favor as they put together four straight shots.
Undiscouraged UE kicked its offense back into high gear for the final 20 minutes of the match. Evansville had three attempts on the same sequence in the 71st and 72nd minutes with a shot off a corner kick from midfielder Reese Simmons (Las Vegas / Shadow Ridge HS) to a blocked shot from Hamner to a shot that went wide of the net from defender Rachel Rosborough (Mt. Brydges, Ontario). Only two minutes later the Aces had three more quick attempts along with two corner kicks, but no shot of the three found its way on net.
UE had one last surge on offense in the final eight minutes of the match. Evansville forced two saves from Valenti as forward Hailey Autenrieb (Cincinnati / Seton HS) shot from the 12 to the far left side of the net. While four minutes later Hamner had her final shot of the night at the top of the penalty area that Valenti swallowed up in the middle of the goal. Despite nine attempts in the final 20 minutes, the Aces couldn’t find the equalizer in the 1-0 loss.
With the loss and a win by Indiana State earlier in the day, UE has been mathematically eliminated from MVC Tournament contention. Evansville will travel up US 41 to Terre Haute this weekend for their penultimate game of the season. Kick-off against Indiana State on Sunday, October 20th is set for 1 p.m. CT.
