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Purple Aces Drop One-Goal Decision to Drake
DES MOINES, Iowa – The University of Evansville women’s soccer team dropped a hard-fought decision on Sunday afternoon, falling to Drake by a score of 1-0. A Bulldogs goal in the 59th minute was the difference, as Drake remained on top of the league standings with the win.
Allie Lammers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) kept the Aces in the match early, making leaping saves in the ninth and 13th minutes to keep the Bulldogs off the board.
Taylor Wehrer (Las Vegas. Nev./Desert Oasis) had the first shot of the day for Evansville, putting a shot on target in the 17th minute, while Ashlyn Koutsos (Cumming, Ga./West Forsyth) added a shot of her own in the 27th minute.
Lammers added another save in the 35th minute, keeping the Bulldogs scoreless as the match went into the half tied at 0-0.
Lammers made two more saves in the first 12 minutes of the second half, but Drake was able to break through with a goal in the 59th minute to take the lead.
The Purple Aces saw their best chance for the equalizer in the 81st minute when Brooklyn Robinson (West Haven, Utah/Fremont) fired a shot from the penalty spot, but her shot was saved by Drake keeper Addie Ford, as the Bulldogs took the 1-0 win.
With the loss, Evansville moves to 7-6-2 overall and 3-4-1 in MVC play. The Purple Aces sit in a tie for the final MVC Tournament spot with 10 points heading into the regular season finale. Evansville will host Valparaiso on Thursday at Arad McCutchan Stadium and can clinch a tournament spot with a win, a loss by UIC, or a tie and a UIC tie. Kick-off is set for 1 PM from Arad McCutchan Stadium.
Aces Play to Draw on Senior Night
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team remained unbeaten in MVC play on Friday night, playing visiting Bradley to a 1-1 draw at Arad McCutchan Stadium. The Purple Aces honored a nine-member senior class – Hugo Amo, Nacho Diaz-Caneja, Tancredi Fadda, Nacho Garcia, Kobe Grant, Matt Hawkins, Kyle Penders, Nate Roberts, and Nalu Wagner – prior to the match to celebrate Senior Night.
Evansville faced an early deficit, as Bradley struck for the night’s first goal in the eighth minute of play.
Aces’ keeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill./Elk Grove) kept the score at 1-0 in the 11th minute, making a leaping save to deny the Braves.
In the 27th minute, Andres Escudero (San Sebastián de los Reyes, Spain/IES Joan Miro) gave Evansville a chance to equalize by drawing a yellow card in the box to earn a penalty kick. Martin Wurschmidt (Stavern, Norway/Thor Heyerdahl VGS) stepped to the spot for the Purple Aces and buried a shot into the top left corner to even the match. With the goal, Wurschmidt improves to 3-for-3 on the season from the penalty spot.
After the match went into halftime tied at one, Evansville worked to generate the go-ahead goal with a shot from Ben Zec (Carmel, Ind. Carmel), and two shots by Tancreddi Fadda (Monza, Italy/University of Milan) in the 50th, 52nd and 54th minutes. Fadda was active again in the 57th minute, putting a shot on target, while Will Bencic (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) added a shot on goal of his own in the 59th minute, but both shots were saved as the match remained tied at one.
Fadda saw another shot saved in the 72nd minute, while Mroz matched Bradley keeper Drew Berry with a save of his own in the 74th minute, making an aggressive play on a breakaway to deny the Braves of the go-ahead goal.
The Purple Aces searched for the winner in the final 15 minutes of play, notching nine more shots, including two shots on goal, but the Aces were unable to find the back of the night as the match ended in a draw.
“When you concede the first goal of the match, it makes everything tougher,” said Head Coach Robbe Tarver. “Over the last two games, we have conceded first and we have had to battle back. Ultimately, we did not do enough to get the winner, but we worked for it.”
“At the end of the day, we are at worst still tied for first in the conference, still undefeated in conference play. There are still positives to take from today, but still a big missed opportunity to take a big step to hosting and accomplishing some of the goals we want to achieve.”
“We were able to celebrate our nine seniors and put forth a performance that I think everybody is proud of despite not getting the win that we wanted.”
On the night, Evansville out-shot Bradley 21-6, including a 7-3 edge in shots on goal. Fadda led the match with six shots and three shots on goal, while Devin Shepherd (Denver, Colo/Arapahoe) added four shots and Escudero added three.
With the tie, Evansville moves to 4-3-8 overall and 2-0-3 in MVC play, moving into a tie atop the MVC table with Drake at nine points. UE takes a break from conference play on Monday with a trip to Louisville to take on the Cardinals. Kick-off is set for 5 PM.
Eagles beat Aces, fall to Sycamores in Saturday’s meet
EVANSVILLE, Ind.– University of Southern Indiana Women’s Swimming and Diving picked up its second victory over the University of Evansville, 161-134, but fell 221-79 to Indiana State University Saturday afternoon at the Deaconess Aquatic Center.
Freshman Hannah Pryor continued the excellent start to her collegiate career, notching a first-place finish in the 100 backstroke with an impressive 58.99 time. Sophomore Emma Gabhart nabbed the team’s other first-place performance with a 2:08.59 time in the 200 Individual Medley.
Adding to the team’s impressive outing, freshman Addie Holmes tallied three fifth-place finishes in the 100 backstroke (1:09.48), 200 backstroke (2:09.13), and the 200 Individual Medley (2:11.81).
On the board, junior Maranda Uttke amazed in the one-meter dive, earning a 225.40 score in a second-place finish. Sophomore Gabbie Meier impressed in both the one (213.20) and three-meter (229.85) dives, earning third in both. Sophomore Anna Bunnell was the team’s top finisher in the three-meter, scoring 245.30, finishing second overall.
Next weekend, the Eagles travel to Louisville, Kentucky, for a matchup against Bellarmine University and Butler University on November 1.
Freshman Hannah Pryor continued the excellent start to her collegiate career, notching a first-place finish in the 100 backstroke with an impressive 58.99 time. Sophomore Emma Gabhart nabbed the team’s other first-place performance with a 2:08.59 time in the 200 Individual Medley.
Adding to the team’s impressive outing, freshman Addie Holmes tallied three fifth-place finishes in the 100 backstroke (1:09.48), 200 backstroke (2:09.13), and the 200 Individual Medley (2:11.81).
On the board, junior Maranda Uttke amazed in the one-meter dive, earning a 225.40 score in a second-place finish. Sophomore Gabbie Meier impressed in both the one (213.20) and three-meter (229.85) dives, earning third in both. Sophomore Anna Bunnell was the team’s top finisher in the three-meter, scoring 245.30, finishing second overall.
Next weekend, the Eagles travel to Louisville, Kentucky, for a matchup against Bellarmine University and Butler University on November 1.
Men’s Soccer falls 4-0 to Lindenwood in final home match
EVANSVILLE, Ind.– University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer drops its home finale to Lindenwood University 4-0 Saturday afternoon at Strassweg Field.
Following Sunday’s loss, the Screaming Eagles sit at seventh place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with seven points. The team will enter the final week of play, fighting for a spot in the OVC Championship tournament on the road.
Lindenwood’s defensive presence was felt early, as USI was unable to gain offensive momentum through the entire first half. The Lions took the lead at 13:49, scoring the first goal of the match.
The ball continued to stay in USI’s defensive third, as Lindenwood continued to find opportunities. The Lion’s second goal came off a USI defender in the 34th minute, as an Eagle tried to send the ball away but found the corner of the net.
Has the half approached, Lindenwood scored a third time. This goal came off a free kick deep into USI’s corner. The kick found a Lion in the box, putting Lindenwood up 3-0 going into the break.
At the half, USI had one shot compared to Lindenwood’s nine. Freshman Ian Graham tallied the lone shot on goal for the Eagles, while the Lions forced three, all of which led to goals.
USI’s defense tightened in the second half, stifling multiple Lindenwood opportunities. The Lions found the back of the net for the final time in the 89th minute, extending the lead to 4-0 in the closing seconds. USI’s best offensive chance came in the 57th minute as sophomore David Davila sent one to the bottom right corner, but Lindenwood’s goalkeeper made a diving stop.
On the day, USI was outshot 22-4 and 7-2 on goal. Freshman Jacob English recorded two saves over 73 minutes, junior Anthony Martinez made his Eagles debut for the final 17 minutes of the match, making two stops.
USI opens the final week of OVC competition in San Antonio, Texas, as the team faces off against the University of the Incarnate Word on Thursday night, before heading to Houston, Texas, for the regular season finale against Houston Christian University.
Following Sunday’s loss, the Screaming Eagles sit at seventh place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with seven points. The team will enter the final week of play, fighting for a spot in the OVC Championship tournament on the road.
Lindenwood’s defensive presence was felt early, as USI was unable to gain offensive momentum through the entire first half. The Lions took the lead at 13:49, scoring the first goal of the match.
The ball continued to stay in USI’s defensive third, as Lindenwood continued to find opportunities. The Lion’s second goal came off a USI defender in the 34th minute, as an Eagle tried to send the ball away but found the corner of the net.
Has the half approached, Lindenwood scored a third time. This goal came off a free kick deep into USI’s corner. The kick found a Lion in the box, putting Lindenwood up 3-0 going into the break.
At the half, USI had one shot compared to Lindenwood’s nine. Freshman Ian Graham tallied the lone shot on goal for the Eagles, while the Lions forced three, all of which led to goals.
USI’s defense tightened in the second half, stifling multiple Lindenwood opportunities. The Lions found the back of the net for the final time in the 89th minute, extending the lead to 4-0 in the closing seconds. USI’s best offensive chance came in the 57th minute as sophomore David Davila sent one to the bottom right corner, but Lindenwood’s goalkeeper made a diving stop.
On the day, USI was outshot 22-4 and 7-2 on goal. Freshman Jacob English recorded two saves over 73 minutes, junior Anthony Martinez made his Eagles debut for the final 17 minutes of the match, making two stops.
USI opens the final week of OVC competition in San Antonio, Texas, as the team faces off against the University of the Incarnate Word on Thursday night, before heading to Houston, Texas, for the regular season finale against Houston Christian University.
Hughes and Porter shine in exhibition game
Aces defeat Reddies in preseason game
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Josh Hughes and Keishon Porter scored 22 points apiece to lead the University of Evansville men’s basketball team to a 90-74 victory over Henderson State on Saturday at the Ford Center.
Hughes was a perfect 10-of-10 from the line while adding five field goals while Porter added 10 field goals in the contest. Leif Moeller completed the game with 21 points while AJ Casey scored 18. Four Reddie players reached double figures with Deazhon Perkins leading the way with 16.
Evansville had a hot start opening a 13-2 lead in the first 5:09 of the game. AJ Casey scored five points while Keishon Porter scored four during the early stretch. Henderson State found its offensive groove midway through the period cutting the deficit down to just three points at 17-14.
With the lead still at three points (19-16), the Purple Aces scored 10 in a row to take a 29-16 advantage. Leif Moeller registered five points during the run. A tenacious Reddies squad cut the deficit back down to six points (36-30) inside of the 4-minute mark. From there, it was all Aces as they completed the half on a 17-6 run to go into the break with a 53-36 lead.
Two early baskets by AJ Casey helped the Aces hold the double-digit lead. Porter added a 3-point play just over two minutes into the period to solidify a 60-42 advantage. Just as they had in the first half, Henderson State staged a rally. A 7-0 run made it a 60-49 game inside the 15-minute mark. Three minutes later, the Reddies closed the gap to 62-57.
Casey and Moeller combined to hit four free throws that pushed the lead back up to nine, but HSU continued to battle back. With 7:33 remaining, Deazhon Perkins’ 3-point play made it a 72-68 contest. Clinging to a 74-70 lead, Evansville’s defense took over, holding the Reddies to just four points over the final seven minutes. Helped by six Hughes free throws down the stretch, the Aces pulled away to take the win by a 90-74 final.
UE continues preparations for the regular season, which begins with a trip to Purdue on Tuesday, November 4.
Screaming Eagles secure the Senior Day sweep against SIUE
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball swept Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to secure the win on Senior Day in three sets.
With the win, USI finishes its four-game home stand undefeated, remaining unbeaten in Ohio Valley Conference games inside Liberty Arena this season. The Eagles move to 7-3 in OVC games, and 11-11 overall.
Set 1: USI 25, SIUE 18
The Screaming Eagles took a confident first set, taking a healthy lead midway through the set. Freshman Carley Wright continued her energy from her career-high night in game one against SIUE and put up seven kills in the first frame to lead the court. With the three digs senior Keira Moore picked up in the first, she moved to third place in the USI record book with 1,491 career digs.
Set 2: USI 25, SIUE 23
USI fought the Cougars off with an efficient defense to secure the second set. As a team, they tallied 20 digs and three blocks to keep the SIUE offense to a .111 hitting percentage. Junior Ashby Willis and senior Bianca Anderson led the Eagle offense with four kills each.
Set 3: USI 25, SIUE 22
After some push and pull at the start of the set, the Eagles regained control by the 10th point, maintaining the lead to finish out the game. Wright added another four kills, while Anderson and junior Leah Coleman led the court with five kills each. Right side Mariah Minor took the court late in the set for her Senior Day, to add a block for the Eagles.
For the game, freshman setter Aysa Thomas finished with her 15th consecutive double-double with 39 assists and 12 digs. Wright led the Eagles with 13 kills for the game, hitting a .357 percent with just three errors. Willis led the back row with 16 digs, picking up nine just in the final set.
The Screaming Eagles tallied eight blocks as a team, led by junior McKenzie Murphy, who added two solo blocks for four total.
With the series sweep completed, USI takes hold of the third place in the OVC standings, behind previously beaten Eastern Illinois University.
Caraballo and Herdes have career nights at Murray
UE drops 5-set match at MSU
MURRAY, Ky. – Josdarilee Caraballo and Brooke Herdes posted the top offensive efforts of their career on Saturday as the University of Evansville volleyball team fell to Murray State in five set.
Caraballo led the Purple Aces with 19 kills passing her previous high of 13, which happened on two occasions. She added eight digs and six service aces. Herdes completed the match with 18 kills. It bested her previous mark of 17 from earlier this season against Purdue Fort Wayne. She added 13 digs. McKenzie Laubach wrapped up the contest with 10 kills while Chloe Cline had nine.
Lexi Owen recorded 45 assists and 12 digs while Ainoah Cruz finished the match with 23 digs. Ella Vogel led the Racers with 19 kills
Game One – MSU 25, UE 15
Murray State opened the set on a 7-1 stretch and pulled away for a 25-15 win. Caraballo had a few highlights during the set posting two aces and a kill over a 3-point stretch to cut a 19-8 deficit to 19-11. MSU overcame the stretch to win by 10.
Game 2 – UE 25, MSU 20
Another quick start saw the Racers jump out to a 5-1 lead before going up 7-2. Two more aces from Caraballo saw Evansville storm back to tie the set at 9-9. Following multiple ties, the Aces finally broke through to turn a 15-14 deficit into an 18-15 lead. Kendall Agler picked up an ace during the stretch. The Aces continued to hold the lead before clinching the set on a Laubach kill.
Game 3 – UE 25, MSU 19
Fresh off their win in the second set, the Aces utilized a 6-1 run to turn a 5-5 tie into an 11-6 lead. Herdes tallied three kills as UE took control. Caraballo continued her career night with back-to-back kills that made it a 16-10 game. The Racers did their best to come back, closing to 19-17, but Herdes added four kills down the stretch to give her squad a 2-1 match lead.
Game 4 – MSU 25, UE 18
The fourth set was very similar to the opening frame with Murray State taking control early before finishing with the win. MSU jumped out to an 8-3 lead with UE battling back to make it a 14-11 game on a Herdes ace. Evansville would get no closer as MSU pulled away for a 25-18 win to force a fifth set.
Game 5 – MSU 15, UE 11
Murray State scored the opening four points before the Aces rallied back. A kill and ace from Caraballo knotted the score at 6-6. The teams battled to a 10-10 tie before the decisive portion came as the Racers scored three in a row to go up 13-10. UE was unable to overcome the rally, dropping the set by a 15-11 final.
Two home matches are on the slate next weekend when UIC and Valparaiso visit Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
THUNDERBOLTS RAISE CHAMPIONSHIP BANNER TO FORD CENTER RAFTERS
Evansville, In.: The Thunderbolts welcomed over 5,500 fans into Ford Center for their home opener on Saturday night as they raised their 2024-25 President’s Cup Championship banner to the rafters, but fell 5-1 to the Quad City Storm. The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Tuesday, October 28th against the Huntsville Havoc at 10:00am CT.
The Thunderbolts had a rough first period and were outshot 13-4, and with only seven seconds remaining, the Storm took the lead as Leif Mattson scored on a power play. Just over a minute into the second period, Mattson scored again on a breakaway to extend the lead to 2-0. Evansville got their game going from there and generated far more offensive opportunity, however Quad City again managed to extend their lead at 11:06, with Tommy Tsicos scoring on a redirection to make it 3-0. A late net-front scramble in the Storm zone led to the highlight of the period, a heavyweight bout between Jordan Simoneau and Quad City’s Jakub Boll, with Simoneau knocking down Boll with several big left hand punches. Early in the third period, Quad City extended their lead to 4-0 at 2:54 off a rebound goal from Devin Sanders. Evansville finally broke the Storm shutout at 11:03 as Connor Federkow scored off the rush on a power play from Kristian Stead to make it a 4-1 game. With the Evansville net empty late, Mattson scored to round out the hat trick with 1:58 remaining, 5-1 the final score.
Federkow scored Evansville’s lone goal while Kristian Stead finished with 34 saves on 38 shots on goal. The Thunderbolts and Storm meet again on Friday, November 14th at Ford Center, with the season series tied 1-1.