After a dominant 3-1 performance against the University of Notre Dame on Thursday, No. 22 Indiana men’s soccer returns to Bill Armstrong Stadium to play another in-state opponent: The University of Evansville.
The Hoosiers first played the Purple Aces in 1978 and have won 33 of 41 meetings. Indiana remains unbeaten in the last 21 matchups, going back to 1992. Even though the last matchup between the two programs resulted in a 1-1 draw in 2024, Evansville hung on to the scoreline despite Indiana having 14 more shots.
Indiana looks to keep momentum in attack
Unlike in 2024, Indiana converted its chances inside the box into goals against the Irish in Thursday night's game. Two goals came from senior forward Oliver Moller-Jensen. The Atlanta native gained a key turnover to set himself up for an easy shot in the bottom left corner in the 14th minute.
Moller-Jensen followed his first goal with a brace in the 57th minute. Yet again, the 5-foot-9 winger was in the right position as senior defender Alex Barger’s shot ricocheted off the post and into Moller-Jensen's feet for an easy goal.
Between the two scoring contributions, Moller-Jensen also provided an assist to junior forward Easton Bogard in the 37th minute. The complete aspect of Moller-Jensen caught Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley’s eye during the team’s opening game.
“It’s so complimentary of his ability to unlock and find a pass,” Yeagley said postgame. “Now, you have Bogard slipping in and getting in because he’s a lethal goal scorer if you give him a window.”
As a team, Indiana finished Thursday’s match with 18 shots and nine on goal, limiting Notre Dame to only four on the net. The only big mistake for the Hoosiers during the contest was a penalty in the 83rd minute, which Notre Dame fifth-year midfielder Vlad Walent slotted home.
Even without junior forward Stephane Njike and senior forward Collins Oduro in the squad, Indiana’s attacking group — led by Moller-Jensen, Bogard and senior forward Bennett Painter — created an onslaught of chances inside the final third.
It’s yet to be seen if Njike or Oduro will play in Sunday’s match, but the addition of both options would be welcomed by Indiana. Both forwards were named to the TopDrawerSoccer Top 100 players list, with Njike landing at No. 6 and Oduro at No. 57.
With a strong backline performance in their last match, the Hoosiers are free to push up the field and create excellent chances at the net.
“Attackers win games, defense wins championships,” Moller-Jensen said in a postgame press conference. “If you don’t have a defense like we do and have such a solid foundation from the back, we’re not going to be as comfortable.”
About the Purple Aces
Evansville enters its second matchup of the season coming off a 3-2 defeat at Bellarmine University on Thursday. The Purple Aces did not score from open play, as a defensive miscue by Bellarmine in the 14th minute led to an own goal. Senior midfielder Pablo Calvete then converted a penalty kick in the 88th minute.
Defensively, Evansville allowed seven shots on goal. Graduate goalkeeper Hugo Amo saved four of Bellarmine’s attempts in his first collegiate appearance for the Purple Aces. Amo backed up Indiana junior goalkeeper Michal Mroz for the last two seasons after transferring to Casper Community College in Wyoming.
Strong play from Mroz last season helped Evansville finish the season with a 7-5-8 record, sharing last season’s Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship with Drake University.
Evansville is expected to compete at the top of the Missouri Valley again this season. In head coach Robbe Tarver’s fourth full season leading the Purple Aces, Evansville was picked No. 3 in the MVC Preseason Poll behind Western Michigan University and Drake.
Sophomore midfielder Devin Shepherd also earned preseason honors, being named to the preseason All-Conference team. Shepherd played all 90 minutes in the season opener, recording three shots and two on target.
Shepherd was a key contributor to last season’s team, scoring five goals and starting 20 games, marks that earned him a spot on the Missouri Valley All-Freshman team. However, Evansville is without its former leading scorer Andres Escudero. The sophomore forward transferred to the University of Louisville this offseason after scoring a team-high 11 goals last season.
His goal-scoring threat must be picked up by other Evansville players, including junior forward Alex Tura. The Barcelona native produced two shots against Bellarmine. Tura joined Evansville after playing academy soccer for La Liga side Espanyol before signing with the Purple Aces.
“Evansville does a great job with Robbe [Tarver],” Yeagley said during a press conference Aug. 18. “He turns teams over every year, but he recruits really well internationally. They'll be talented but new, so catching them early, I think will probably help us.”
Indiana and Evansville are set for an 8 p.m. kickoff Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Coverage is available on B1G+.
Follow reporters Noah Boudouris (@noahboudouris and nboudour@iu.edu) and Sean McAvoy (@sean_mc07 and semcavoy@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
