Dayton, Evansville Battle to Scoreless Tie

(Photo via @daytonmsoccer Instagram)

Gabriel Ward | Sports Editor

DAYTON, Ohio – The University of Dayton Men’s Soccer team took on the Evansville Purple Aces on Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference matchup in front of 461 fans at Baujan Field. 

The Flyers entered the match with a 2-1-3 record and were coming off a 3-1 win over Saint Joseph’s in their Atlantic 10 opener. Evansville came into the game with a 1-2-4 record and also had some momentum after capturing the Mayor’s Cup in their 3-0 rivalry match victory over the University of Southern Indiana on Saturday, Sept. 13.

The match was a defensive masterclass, as neither side gave up many opportunities. The Flyers were only able to get one shot on target in the first half when Andrew Armstrong put one on frame just over a minute into the match, which Purple Aces keeper Michal Mroz denied. 

In the second half, the offensive pressure for the Flyers amplified as they were able to produce 12 total shots while putting four of them on target. But it was Mroz who stole the show, as his four second-half saves kept Evansville right in the game. 

As time was ticking down and Dayton’s offense continued to keep Evansville on its heels, the Purple Aces were in no rush to continue play; as with every chance there was, they slowed down the pace of play and ran more time off the clock.

Dayton would have one final chance, as with 20 seconds remaining, Martin Bakken would find Cooper Lijewski, who put the shot on frame, but once again, Mroz stood tall and was able to dive to his right, making the save and preserving the draw. 

The match would end scoreless as Dayton’s record moved to 2-1-4 and Evansville’s to 1-2-5. The Flyers return to action Saturday, Sept. 20, in Richmond, Virginia, as they take on the VCU Rams at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.