EVANSVILLE – After reeling off six straight victories for the first time since 2010, the University of Evansville baseball team will be looking to extend its impressive run into the weekend as the high-scoring Purple Aces will play a pair of games apiece against Central Connecticut and Liberty.

The Aces, who enter the weekend with a 7-4 record, are off to their best start since 2007, thanks in large part to an offense that has scored a Missouri Valley Conference-best 100 runs in just 11 games. Overall, UE is hitting .303 on the year with 12 home runs, but over the last six games, the Aces own a .381 batting average to go along with a .488 on-base mark.

Two different UE players are hitting .400 so far this season, with Korbin Williams carrying the most steam into the weekend after going yard twice in the Aces’ record-setting 29-9 thumping of UT Martin on Tuesday. The other .400 hitter, Trey Hair, has been a primary power source all year with a pair of homers and a team-best six doubles. Williams and Hair have combined to score 20 runs while knocking in another 19.

Meanwhile, Boomer Synek and his .348 average has been the main run-producer in the line-up as the Northbrook, Ill., native has a team-best 16 runs batted in.

On the mound, the Aces will turn to Patrick Schnieders once again on Friday night. In last week’s start against Northern Illinois, the junior allowed just one run on four hits over 6.0 innings of work before leaving the game with a no-decision. It was the second straight start that the right-hander had tossed five-plus innings while allowing just one run, and he enters the weekend with a 3.78 earned run average over 16.2 innings of work.

Connor Strain, who allowed a pair of earned runs over five innings at South Alabama last month, will return to the mound for Saturday’s game at Liberty. The senior right-hander went down with an injury after that USA start, and he owns a 3.60 ERA and an 0-1 record.

Brandon Gomer (0-2, 12.34 ERA) and Austin Allinger (2-0, 5.27 ERA) round out the rest of the Aces probable starters.

UE is slated to open up the weekend with Central Connecticut State (4-3) at 1 p.m. Eastern on Friday before continuing play with Liberty (7-6) at the same time on Saturday. The Aces and CCSU will square off again on Saturday, and play will wrap up for UE on Sunday with a showdown against Liberty. Both games are slated for 5 p.m.

NOTES: UE’s six-game winning streak is the longest since April 13-20, 2010 … A win on Friday would give the Aces their longest streak since another seven game stretch March 13-23, 2007 … The Aces have come back from three or more runs to win in three of their last five games … UE’s 29 runs last time out tied a nearly 20-year-old record for most runs in a game … The Aces have hit 12 home runs this season over 11 games. Last season, it took 25 games to hit 11 homers … This weekend will mark the first-ever contests between UE and both Central Connecticut and Liberty … Since 1978, the Aces are 2-0 against schools that hail from the state of Connecticut and 2-8 versus those from the state of Virginia.

Evansville gets goaltender back from AHL affiliate, sends top scorer up for the first time

The Evansville IceMen, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, and Head Coach Al Sims announced Thursday that the AHL’s Binghamton Senators have returned goaltender Scott Greenham on loan, and recalled forward Daultan Leveille.

 Greenham, 28, returns from his third stint with the AHL club, where he’s posted a combined record of 3-1-0, with a 2.19 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in six appearances. In 14 games for the IceMen, the Ottawa, ON native has a record of 7-5-1-1 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. He is currently in his fifth pro season between the AHL and ECHL, after playing four college seasons for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.

Leveille, 25, heads to Binghamton for the first time since he was loaned to Evansville on October 6 following the B-Sens Training Camp. The St. Catherines, ON native led the IceMen with 21 goals and added 18 assists in 49 games this year, after spending the 2014-15 season playing for Rouen in the top pro league in France. Leveille was drafted 28^th overall in the first round of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, and played four seasons at Michigan State University

The IceMen travel to Indy Friday for a 7:35pm EST meeting with the Fuel, before returning home Saturday to host the Fuel in the rematch at 7:15pm CST at the Ford Center. Evansville wraps up the weekend Sunday against Quad City at 5:15pm in Evansville.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES

3/12 – Indy at Evansville (7:15pm) – Ford Center

                        Baby Races

Sun. 3/13 – Quad City at Evansville (5:15pm) – Ford Center

                        Subway Family Night

Th. 3/17 – Fort Wayne at Evansville (6:15pm) – Ford Center

                        St. Patrick’s Day – Green Ice

Penalty shot and breakaway goal lead Quad City past Evansville in third period.

Records:  Evansville: 22-27-6-2; Quad City: 27-24-4-2

Goalies:  QC – Hoffman (W), 14-15-1-0, 29 saves

EVN – Bengtsberg (L), 8-11-4-1, 22 saves

Scoring:

1^st Period: 1. EVN – Zay 7 (Rumble, Harrison, 6:08); 2. QC – Archambault 15 (Knackstedt, Warning, 9:02); 3. QC – Neal 16 (Carey, Coldwell, 17:24)

2^nd Period:  4. QC – Nikiforov 8 (PP, Pochiro, Monfredo, 6:54); 5. EVN – Duco 9 (PP, Wideman, Rutkowski, 11:28); 6. EVN – Moon 14 (Sims, Leonard, 16:59)

3^rd Period:  7. QC – Carey 19 (penalty shot, 8:31); 8. EVN – Rutkowski 5 (Wideman, Zay, 11:42); 9. QC – Pochiro 7 (unassisted, 13:23)

EVANSVILLE, IN – The Quad City Mallards prevailed over the Evansville IceMen 5-4 in a back-and-forth thriller Wednesday at the Ford Center in the fifth of seven meetings this season between the two teams.

The IceMen jumped out to a 1-0 lead, when Chris Rumble threw a puck to the net that ricocheted off of Matthew Zay and in behind Mallards goalie Brody Hoffman6:08 into the game. Quad City then scored two unanswered goals to lead 2-1 after one.

First, Olivier Archambault danced around an Evansville defender and lifted a shot over the blocker of IceMen goaltender Christoffer Bengtsberg. The Mallards then took the lead, when Matt Carey stretched a pass for Matt Neal, who beat Bengtsberg on a breakaway with 2:36 left in the frame.

Quad City opened its lead to 3-1 on a power play in the second period, when Vladimir Nikiforov backhanded a loose puck into the net out of a scramble in the crease. The IceMen pocketed a power play goal of their own, when Mike Duco tipped an Alex Wideman shot from the point past Hoffman. Nathan Moon tied the game for Evansville with 3:01 left in the middle frame, when he stick-handled through a tight space and backhanded a shot into the net while falling to the ice.

Carey broke the 3-3 tie when he was awarded a penalty shot at 8:31 of the third period during an Evansville power play and buried the attempt over Bengtsberg’s blocker. Troy Rutkowski again evened the score at 11:42 on a centering feed from Wideman behind the Mallards’ net. It was Wideman’s third assist of the night. But Quad City’s Zach Pochiro notched the game-winning goal on another breakaway with 6:37 to play in regulation.

Hoffman made 29 saves in the win, while Bengtsberg stopped 22 in the loss. The Mallards moved within one point of eighth place Tulsa in the Western Conference playoff race, while the IceMen remained nine points back. Both teams have 15 games remaining and two more head-to-head meetings, including Sunday’s rematch at the Ford Center at 5:15pm.

Evansville next travels to Indianapolis to start a home-and-home weekend series with the Indy Fuel Friday at 7:35pm EST. The game will be broadcast onwww.evansvilleicemen.com and ECHL TV, with coverage starting at 6:20 CST. The IceMen will then host the Fuel Saturday at 7:15pm at the Ford Center, and wrap up a four-game week with the rematch against the Mallards Sunday.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES

Sat. 3/12 – Indy at Evansville (7:15pm) – Ford Center

                        Baby Races

Sun. 3/13 – Quad City at Evansville (5:15pm) – Ford Center

                        Subway Family Night

Th. 3/17 – Fort Wayne at Evansville (6:15pm) – Ford Center

                        St. Patrick’s Day – Green Ice

                       

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BABY RACES SATURDAY

During the first intermission of Saturday’s IceMen game against the Indy Fuel at 7:15pm, Evansville will feature its first-ever baby races. There will be a crawlers division and walkers division. After the game, Evansville’s NAPA warmup jerseys that have been worn by the players will be autographed and auctioned off at the Ford Center.

FAITH SUNDAYS

Bring any pamphlet or program from your faith service to the Ford Center Ticket Office and receive a $5 discount on tickets anywhere in the building for Sunday home games! There are two remaining Sunday home games: March 13 and 20. All Sunday games are scheduled for 5:15pm.

 

POSTGAME SKATE – MARCH 20

IceMen Season Ticket Holders and Blizzard Buddies are welcome to participate in a postgame skate Sunday, March 20 after the IceMen take on the Cincinnati Cyclones at 5:15pm at the Ford Center. Fans are encouraged to bring their own skates if they have them, as a limited number of skates will be provided.

DOMINO’S 4-GAME HAT PACK

Choose any four IceMen home games and get a FREE limited edition IceMen hat and a large 1-topping Domino’s pizza, starting at only $17 per ticket. Call the IceMen front office at 812-421-GOAL (4625) for details.