The Purple Aces return to Arad McCutchan Stadium on Saturday night
SEPTEMBER 14, 2024
The Purple Aces return home after a tough stretch on the road with back-to-back losses to Lindenwood and Butler. UE struggled against the Bulldogs on Tuesday night, allowing four goals in the loss. UE moves forward by beginning Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday night with the same team from starting 2023 Valley play, the Drake Bulldogs. Evansville is looking to avenge a close 2-1 loss from 2023 back on their home field where Drake scored in the final five minutes of the match.
The Bulldogs come into Saturday’s game with a three-game win streak and an overall record of 4-2. Two of Drake’s three recent wins came at home with their only road win of the season at DePaul by one goal. The Bulldogs are led on offense by junior midfielder Damien Segura with nine points from four goals and one assist for a breakout start to the season.
Graduate forward Sami Owusu scored his second-season goal on Tuesday night for Evansville’s only goal at Butler. Owusu scored in the 69th minute with a wide-arching right-footed shot off a defensive Butler play. Despite the tough road trip, UE still leads the Missouri Valley Conference in shots per game. Evansville averages 14.83 shots per game, leading Western Michigan by over 1.5 shots. The Aces are 32nd in the nation in shots per game nationally.
Freshman goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove HS) is one of the country’s most active goalkeepers through the season’s non-conference portion. With 540 minutes played, Mroz is second in the country in goalie minutes played while leading the Valley.
