After getting its first conference win in its last match against Penn State, Indiana men’s soccer returns to non-conference play to take on the University of Evansville on Wednesday.
Indiana was winless in its last three matches before beating Penn State, but converting goal-scoring opportunities proved to be the difference in the Hoosiers’ winning effort on Saturday. Junior forward Sam Sarver’s two goals were enough to get the Hoosiers the win and move them up two spots in the Big Ten standings.
Indiana and Evansville first faced each other in 1978 with the intrastate matchup being played 39 times since then. The Hoosiers hold a 31-4-4 record against the Purple Aces and are unbeaten since 1990.
Despite their dominance, the Hoosiers settled for a 1-1 draw last season when they traveled to Evansville. Given the time of season and home-field advantage, another draw won’t be enough for Indiana, which hopes to get back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Evansville comes into this match with a 3-5-3 record and a 2-2 draw against Western Michigan University in their last match. The Purple Aces have struggled defensively this season, conceding 18 goals in 11 matches. Their defensive woes stem from them allowing opponents to average 12 shots per game.
Offensively the Purple Aces have found success, scoring 19 goals in 11 matches alongside scoring two goals in each of their last three games. Evansville averages 13 shots per game as Indiana will look to keep that number lower.
A big factor in Evansville’s offensive success has been senior forward Kai Phillip. Phillip is the team’s top goal scorer with seven goals this season and has also contributed an assist. Indiana’s back line will have to be wary of him at all times as he’s proven to be a goal-scoring threat for the Purple Aces. Graduate winger Nkosi Graham and junior midfielder Jose Vivas have also contributed to the scoring with two goals each.
Indiana’s 2-1 win against Penn State marked the first time the Hoosiers scored multiple goals in a match since its 2-0 win against Depaul University on Aug. 29. Since that match, Indiana has had struggles scoring goals and often settled for draws or losses as a result. Missed chances were a constant for the Hoosiers, but they were able to convert multiple opportunities against Penn State and will look to build on this against Evansville and beyond.
Indiana’s defense has been a bright spot for the team and has allowed the Hoosiers to stay in games and hold on to close leads. This was especially crucial for the Hoosiers when they struggled offensively. The backline has limited opponents to just seven goals in 11 matches and only allows seven shots per game. The Hoosiers have kept five clean sheets this season and will need to be at their best to keep another against a team who can score such as Evansville.
The match will kick off at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Bill Armstrong Stadium and will be streamed on Big Ten+.
Follow reporters Leo Paes (@Leordpaes) and Jovanni Salazar (@jio_duz_it) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
