Boxscore
With a national television audience and a big McCutchan Stadium crowd of 1,758 watching, all the University Evansville men's soccer team needed to top off the evening was a victory over a nationally ranked opponent. And the Purple Aces got it Friday night, thanks to Tom Irvin's header in the 52nd minute that gave Evansville a 1-0 victory over 24th ranked Drake in the Fox Soccer Channel National Game of the Week.
The victory improved Evansville to 10-5-1 overall and 4-3-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference. It also assured UE of its fourth consecutive winning season under fourth year coach Mike Jacobs. That's a streak most recently accomplished by Evansville's 1989 through 1992 teams. The loss dropped Drake (9-5-1, 4-2-0) out of first place in the MVC for the first time this season. Friday's match was the third straight for Evansville against a team that was either nationally ranked in the top 25, or receiving votes in the national polls.
Senior team captain Reggie Edu started the scoring play when he found junior Tyler Kincaid with a through ball down the left side. Kincaid lofted a cross that the 6-3, 210-pound Irvin leaped for and headed into the net beyond the reach of Drake keeper Michael Drozd.
Both teams had goals waved off by fouls. Evansville's came in the first half on a header from Jarrett Robbins, and Drake's came seven minutes after Irvin's goal following a flurry in front of the goal.
The evenly played match included 17 shots by the Aces, with four on goal, and 13 by the Bulldogs, with three on goal. Evansville finished with four corner kicks to Drake's three. Sophomore goalkeeper Phil Boerger made three saves to pick up his 10th victory and his fifth shutout. Evansville steps out of league play for a match Wednesday at Indiana University, then plays at first place Missouri State Nov. 4 and hosts Bradley Nov. 7 to close out the regular season.