The Purple Aces begin the 2024 season Thursday evening at Bellarmine
ST. LOUIS – Fifth-year forward Kai Phillip is earning preseason honors heading into the University of Evansville men’s soccer team’s 2024 season.
After a breakout season in 2023 leading the Purple Aces on offense, Kai Phillip (Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago) has been named to the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason All-Conference Team as voted on by league head coaches. Phillip is one of 11 Valley players named preseason All-MVC and is UE’s only representative. In 2023 Phillip led Evansville in goals (10) and points (21) which was also good for third across the MVC.
The Aces were picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll with a total of 30 points. Missouri State was picked as the league’s top men’s soccer team with a trio of first-place votes and 74 points, edging Western Michigan’s 72 points and four first-place votes. UIC garnered a pair of first-place votes, finishing with 69 points for third. Bowling Green (51 points), Belmont (41 points), Northern Illinois (31 points), Drake (19 points) and Bradley (18 points) round out the rest of the poll.
UE returns all but a fifth of its roster for the 2024 season after coming a point shy of the MVC Tournament in 2023. With a team of 26 returners, Evansville looks to return to the postseason led by its top three goal scorers from 2023. Along with over 20 returners, the Aces add 14 newcomers with 10 freshmen; Marlon Amaya, Håkon Edstrøm, Dean Harper, Sean Hendrie, Conner Johnson, Michal Mroz, Brady Seaton, Austin Walter, Peyton Williams, Martin Wurschmidt and four transfers; Hugo Amo, Nacho Garcia, Sami Owusu, and Rylan Ross.
The 2024 season will be head coach Robbe Tarver’s first full season as Evansville’s head coach after removing the interim tag midway through 2023. In his first year at the helm, Tarver guided the Aces to four wins against a highly competitive schedule. Along with four wins, Tarver’s squad in 2023 had four draws, including handing MVC regular-season and tournament champions Western Michigan their only non-winning result in conference play.
Phillip returns for his final campaign with the Aces after leading UE offensively with 10 goals, 21 points, 36 shots, and 17 shots on goal. Along with Phillip, UE returns 2022 MVC Freshman of the Year Nacho Diaz Barragan after he was sidelined for the majority of last year with an injury, and its other two top goal scorers, sophomore winger Auden Engen Vik and senior midfielder Jose Vivas.
