SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The University of Evansville men's soccer team took down another Top 25 team to advance to the MVC Tournament Championship game.
The Purple Aces earned their fifth shutout of 2024 in a 1-0 win over the top-seeded Missouri State Bears. On a windy night at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium UE avenged its previous 6-1 loss to the Bears to start November. Junior defender Nacho Garcia (Zaragoza, Spain) scored his first goal with Evansville in the 50th minute for the Aces win. Redshirt freshman midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi (Giulia, Italy) picked up his fifth assist of 2024 on the lone goal of the match.
"These guys believed in each other and that's what put us over the top," said Head Coach Robbe Tarver. "Missouri State is a top 10 team for a reason. The guts we had to have tonight to win, I have no words. These guys deserve everything they've gotten, and we've earned the chance to have a match against a really good Bowling Green team. We will be ready to go!"
Wednesday's semifinal match began as a defensive battle. Outside of a shot in the second minute for Missouri State neither team was able to get pass the other's defensive pressure. UE didn't take a shot in the first 45 minutes but had a corner kick in the 10th minute that was taken away from the net by the heavy winds.
The Bears got only four shots around Evansville's defense including an indirect kick in the 33rd minute. Senior forward Nacho Diaz Barragan (Almeria, Spain) blocked the kick from the 10 by MVC Player of the Year Jesus Barea to send it out of harm's way. The only other close attempt came in the final seconds of the second half from Missouri State that went wide.
The defensive pressure continued at the start of the second half as both teams took two fouls in the first five minutes. It didn't stay completely defense for long as the Aces got a free kick opportunity from 30 yards out. Fedrizzi took the free kick and found Garcia just inside the 12 where he headed the ball in for the lone score of the match.
UE had another close opportunity just six minutes later as senior forward Edward Mendy (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley West HS) took a shot from inside the penalty area that forced a diving save from Bears goalkeeper Will Lowry. Missouri State went on the attack trying to find the equalizer with six shots in the final 25 minutes. But freshman goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove HS) made three saves and Evansville's defense kept the other three shots away to secure the 1-0 win.
The Aces move onto the MVC Tournament Championship match for the third time in four years. This will be the first time since 2009 that UE will face a team other than Missouri State in the championship match. Evansville will play the third-seeded Bowling Green Falcons for the MVC Championship at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 16th.