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USI opens ’24-25 with visit to DePaul Eagles finish opening week by hosting Bucknell
USI opens ’24-25 with visit to DePaul
Eagles finish opening week by hosting Bucknell
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball opens the 2024-25 regular season Monday when the Screaming Eagles visit DePaul University for a 7 p.m. contest in Chicago, Illinois. The opening week will end November 7 at Screaming Eagles Arena when USI hosts Bucknell University for the home opener at 7 p.m.
The USI-DePaul showdown will be played at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, and will air live on Fox Sports 1, while the USI-Bucknell contest will stream on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on ESPN 97.7FM (http://listentotheref.com) and 95.7FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).
USI’s home opening game versus Bucknell is a “Red Out Game” with all fans encouraged to wear red to the game. The first 500 fans will receive a red rally towel.
The Eagles are coming off their second season of NCAA Division I play that saw them post an 8-24 overall record, 5-13 in the Ohio Valley Conference. USI also has earned a berth in the OVC Championship in both Division I seasons.
The Eagles are expected to be eighth in the OVC this season in a vote of the head coaches and athletic communication staff. USI finished seventh in 2022-23 and eighth in 2023-24 in its first two seasons in the OVC.
DePaul, which was 3-29 overall in 2024-25, was picked 11th in the Big East preseason coaches poll. The Blue Demons opened the year with an exhibition win over Illinois Wesleyan University, 76-60.
Bucknell, which was 14-19 overall last year, is picked to place fourth in the Patriot League 2024-25 preseason poll. The Bison opened the year with an 88-82 exhibition win over Saint Joseph’s University October 26 and begins the regular season by visiting the University of Delaware Monday.
USI, which is slated to host 15 home games this year at Screaming Eagles Arena, has single-game tickets on sale now on USIScreamingEagles.com.
Eagles concede two in 2nd half, fall to SIUE 2-1 Screaming Eagles remain in OVC playoff picture
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer allowed a pair of second-half goals in losing to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 2-1, Thursday evening at Strassweg Field. The Screaming Eagles fall to 2-13-2 overall and 1-6-2 in the OVC, while the Cougars clinch the OVC regular season and go to 9-4-3, 7-1-1 OVC.
Despite the loss, USI is seventh in the OVC standings, one point behind Western Illinois University in the league playoff picture. The Eagles need a win in Sunday’s regular season finale at Lindenwood University and a WIU loss or tie versus Houston Christian University to advance to the OVC post-season.
The top six teams advance to the OVC Championship at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, November 10-16, in Edwardsville, Illinois.
USI grabbed a first-half lead, 1-0, at 28:56 when freshman forward David Davila raced through the Cougar defense to record his third goal of the season. Davila was assisted on the play by a through-ball from midfield by junior forward Jaron Frye, who registered his first point of the season with the assist.
SIUE had the advantage shots during the first half, 11-5, doubling USI’s total.
The second half belonged to the Cougars, who tied the score at 50:27 and took the lead for good, 2-1, at 77:38. SIUE led USI 12-6 in shots during the final 45 minutes. The Eagles had a trio of shots on-goal – one by Davila and two by sophomore forward Jackson Mitchell – but could not find the back of the goal for the equalizer.
Between the posts for USI, sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Klott battled for the 90 minutes and made 10 saves, two short of a career best. He allowed the two goals, while facing 23 total shots.
Swimming and diving on campus to face USI on Friday
Meet set for 4 p.m.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the first time this season, the University of Evansville swimming and diving squads will be competing on campus. On Friday, the Purple Aces welcome USI to Wyttenbach Pool for a 4 p.m. meet.
Last weekend, UE took on McKendree at Deaconess Aquatic Center. One of the top teams in the nation at the Division II level, McKendree picked up the final team wins, but Evansville had multiple individual performances that provide momentum heading into the contest against the Screaming Eagles.
Daniel Santos Lopez had the fast time in the 50-free. In a finish that came down to the wire, his 21.27 edged the #2 finisher by 0.04 to pick up the victory. Patrik Vilbergsson brought home the win in the 200-back. With a 1:52.17, he earned the top finish by just over a second.
Carlos Souto was the runner-up in the 100-breaststroke. With a 57.50, he completed the race less than a second off the winning pace. Souto picked up another 2nd place finish in the 200, finishing in 2:12.12. Joao Pereira finished just behind him to take third.
Evelyn Chin grabbed a win in the 100-fly, finishing with a time of 57.72. She edged the competition by 0.21. In the 200-IM, it was Sveva Brugnoli recording a win for the Aces. Her 2:10.85 was close to two seconds ahead of the runner-up.
In the 200-yard breaststroke, Mari Mueller and Rafaela Makariewicz took second and third. Mueller was less than a half second behind the winning time. Hannah Krings picked up a pair of second-place efforts. In the 1000-free, she swam an 11:10.69 while her time in the 500-free was a 5:27.37. Ane Garate registered a 1:00.54 in the 100-backstroke to take second.
Terry named OVC Men’s Runner of the Year
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana senior Brady Terry has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year in an announcement by the league office Thursday afternoon.
Terry becomes the first men’s runner in program history to earn OVC Cross Country Runner of the Year and the second runner in both genders since the Screaming Eagles moved to Division I in 2022-23. Lauren Griewe was the 2022 OVC Female Runner of the Year.
The Philpot, Kentucky, native has earned three OVC Runner of the Week honors this season and owns the fastest eight-kilometer time in the conference following his performance at the Angel Mounds Invitational two weeks ago. Terry finished second out of 233 competitors with a time of 24 minutes, 10.5 seconds.
A finance major at USI, Terry is undefeated against OVC competition in each of the last three meets he has competed. He won the UT Martin OVC Preview last month before finishing 58th at the University of Missouri’s Gans Creek Classic.
Terry, a second-team All-OVC honoree a year ago, becomes the 11th USI men’s runner to claim Runner of the Year honors in cross country, with the previous winners earning the award by winning the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships during USI’s time in Division II.
One of the favorites to win the OVC title, Terry and the rest of the USI men’s and women’s runners compete at the OVC Championships Friday in Martin, Tennessee.
The women are scheduled to toe the start line at 9 a.m., while the men’s 8K follows at 10 a.m. The races will be held on the University of Tennessee Martin campus.
Swimming and Diving head across town to face off against Evansville
EVANSVILLE, Ind.– University of Southern Indiana Swimming and Diving will travel across town to face the University of Evansville at Wyttenbach Pool on Friday evening at 4 p.m.
The two teams have previously matched up last fall. Both squads met in a tri-meet at Deaconess Aquatic Center that also included Valparaiso University. The Purple Aces won both contests, topping the men 162-70 and the women 126-110.
The Screaming Eagles hosted a diving only meet with the Aces last January. Sophomore Nathan Deputy prevailed in the men’s three-meter dive (271.88), setting the USI record at the time. Evansville won both the one-meter and three-meter events on the women’s side, but sophomore Maranda Uttke led the Eagles in the one-meter (225.90) and the three-meter (220.05).
Men
The men look to bounce back after falling to Bellarmine University in their last meet, 206-88. USI was led by sophomore Cole Baker, placing second in the 100 backstroke (54.13). The sophomore’s time marks the fastest 100 backstroke time of the season for the Eagles. Freshman Luke Rich earned the Eagles another second-place finish in the 200 breaststroke (2:12.57)
Junior Lane Pollock took the top spot in the three-meter dive (252.53), along with Deputy finishing second (252.53).
The Aces’ men have begun their season 1-1, after an opening meet victory over Centre College 189-105. Evansville fell in its last meet against McKendree University at Deaconess Aquatic Center, 195-95.
Women
The USI women look to build on the momentum against Bellarmine. Despite losing 153-141, the Eagles saw massive improvement from the last time the squads faced off in October of 2022.
USI had two record-breaking performances against the Knights. Freshman Elizabeth Ketcham placed first in the 100 butterfly (57.71), along with her new school record. Ketcham contributed to the record-breaking 200 freestyle relay (1:39.21) that also included freshman Simone Green, sophomore Caiya Cooper and sophomore Reagan Holmes.
Freshmen Anna Bunnell and Gabbie Meier continued their diving excellence in the last meet. Bunnell topped the scoreboard in the one-meter dive (212.83), while Meier finishing second (194.78).
The University of Evansville women have started their season 0-2, falling to Centre 162-132 and McKendree 156-91.
UE cross country begins the postseason at the MVC Championships
The Purple Aces will run in Iowa for the first time since 2016
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The University of Evansville cross country teams will run in the conference championships on Friday morning.
Eighteen Purple Aces head to Iowa for the MVC Cross Country Championships race on Friday, November 1st. The MVC Championships is being hosted by the Northern Iowa Panthers at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course with the women’s 6K starting at 11 a.m. while the men’s 8K starts at 12 p.m. Bradley and Belmont have been predicted to take home the Missouri Valley Conference cross country championship titles in 2024 in a pre-championship vote by the head coaches. UE was picked to finish 10th on the men’s side and 11th on the women’s side.
Evansville heads into Friday’s championships after a strong showing at the Angel Mounds Invitational on Friday, October 18th. Sophomore runner Rafael Rodriguez (Sergovia, Spain) earned the fourth-best time in program history for a men’s 8K race at 24:43 for a sixth-place overall finish. Rodriguez’s time helped propel the Purple Aces men’s team to sixth place out of 16 teams improving four sports from 2023. On the women’s team sophomore Avery Stephens (Newburg, Ind. / Castle HS) led the team with a personal best of 23:25.4 in the women’s 6K for an 11th-place finish out of 16 teams.
On the women’s side the Aces will have running freshman Megan Allgeier (Batesville, Ind. / Batesville HS), sophomore Kyndall Anthis (Pakota, Ind. / Princeton Community HS), freshman Lauren Bradley (Russiaville, Ind. / Western HS), senior Hannah Bryan (Evansville, Ind. / Reitz HS), freshman Skyler Dickenson (Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg HS), sophomore Chase Hayes (Noblesville, Ind. / Western HS), freshman Aleks Parmer (Fort Branch, Ind. / Gibson Southern HS), junior Olivia Pennington (Fort Branch, Ind. / Gibson Southern HS), and sophomore Avery Stephens (Newburg, Ind. / Castle HS). On the men’s side UE will have running sophomore Woody Burrell (Ceaderburg, Wis. / Ceaderburg HS), sophomore Cedrik Flipo (Beloeil, Quebec), sophomore Samuel Lea (Worchester, England), sophomore Tommaso Losma (Bergamo, Italy), freshman Kadin McAlister (Lilburn, Ga. / Parkview HS), sophomore Jakub Nowicki (Poznan, Poland), freshman Andrew Potter (Warsaw, Ind. / Warsaw Community HS), senior Adam Oulgout (St. Paul, Minn. / Central HS), and Rodriguez.
Evansville fans can follow along with the MVC Championships through Wayzata Timing.
UE men’s soccer set for Top 25 showdown at No. 17 Missouri State
The Purple Aces put their five match unbeaten streak on the line Friday evening
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The University of Evansville men’s soccer team makes its final conference trip to the no. 17 Missouri State Bears.
The Purple Aces secured their spot in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament with a 1-0 win over Bowling Green on Friday night. It was UE’s first win over the Falcons as MVC opponents and their first since 2006 after Bowling Green had won the past two matches. Evansville’s lone goal on Friday came from graduate forward Sami Owusu (Denver / Dayton) in the 60th minute on a defensive mistake from the Falcons.Missouri State comes into Friday’s matchup as one of the Top 25 teams in the nation. The Bears were ranked 17th in the country by the United Soccer Coaches on Tuesday afternoon following a 0-0 tie with Saint Louis last week. While Missouri State had a bye week from MVC action over the course of two months the Bears haven’t lost a Valley game yet. Missouri State has five wins in conference play with the team’s one tie coming against no. 11 Western Michigan. The Bears are led by senior forward Jesus Barea who leads the MVC in goals with 13 through 14 matches. With 13 goals, Barea is third in the nation for goals in the 2024 season while comfortably leading the Valley by three goals.
The Aces relied on a six-save performance by goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove HS) to shut out Bowling Green on Friday. With the win against the Falcons UE extends its unbeaten streak to five matches. The win signified Mroz’s eighth of the year, marking the most by a keeper since 2022 and the most by a freshman keeper since 2016.
Mroz is also back in the national ranks as he’s tied for 22nd in the country with 61 saves in 15 matches. Mroz is also one of three goalkeepers in the Valley with more than 50 saves, leading the conference with 61.