SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI – The Orange and Brown left it all on the pitch. It took 99 minutes, but in the end, the Evansville Purple Aces (11-6-3, 4-3-1 MVC) outlasted BGSU men’s soccer (12-6-2, 4-3-1 MVC) in overtime by a final score of 3-2.
Heartbreak for the Orange and Brown but delight and celebration for Evansville, who have won their first MVC championship since 1996.
After losing back-to-back finals to Missouri State in 2021 and 2022, the Purple Aces have finally reclaimed the MVC title.
For Bowling Green,
The Falcons were without the MVC Defender of the Year and one of their captains, fifth-year defender Kyle Cusimano, who left the semifinal match due to injury in the second half.
Bowling Green was on the front foot early, with a couple of crosses in the box from junior winger Andrew Shaffer, but they resulted in no end product for BG.
Despite not being able to put anything on goal to test Evansville freshman goalkeeper Michal Mroz, the Orange and Brown dominated possession for the majority of the first half.
Evansville struck first in the 30th minute of the match; a ball sent in behind the Falcon backline found the run of striker Kai Phillip, who blasted the ball into the roof of the net past and outcoming Brendan Graves. 1-0 Purple Aces.
Four minutes later, substitute Jake Lane came onto the pitch for Bowling Green and put a dangerous cross into the box that found the feet of Shaffer, who put a shot on frame that just crossed the goal line despite the attempted clearance from Evansville’s Baraka Tarleton. Just like that, Bowling Green ties the matchup at 1-1 in the 34th minute.
The Falcons took the lead in the 40th minute. Another substitute, Taylor Dyson, found Lane making his way into the box, who put on a stepover and powered the ball with his left foot past Mroz‘ near post, making it 2-1 Bowling Green.
Bowling Green would go into the break with the 2-1 lead, outshooting Evansville three to two in the first 45‘, all three were on goal compared to just one for the Purple Aces.
Evansville picked up the intensity to start the half-wind. With the windy conditions, the Purple Aces had the wind in their favor in the second, searching for an equalizer.
Anaya nearly doubled the lead for the Falcons with a shot in the 52nd minute that curved right into the gloves of Mroz. Keeping it just a one-goal lead for BG.
In the 72nd minute, a long ball from Lane found the run of sophomore forward Bennett Painter on the run. Mroz came out and misjudged the ball, which left an open net for BG, but Evansville defender Nacho Garcia cleared the danger away.
The Purples aces tied it up at 2-2 in the 79th minute. After a foul by Bowling Green’s Mads Christensen, Evansville had a free-kick opportunity near the far corner flag. An in-swinging ball that ping-ponged around in the box was eventually punched home by Tarleton.
In a final ten intense minutes, Painter nearly found the winner with 44 seconds left to play in regulation, taking a shot with his left foot that was a fingertip save from Mroz.
After 90 minutes of action, both teams remained tied at 2-2. The match moved into overtime, with two ten-minute periods to be played.
Evansville found the game-winner to give them the MVC championship with two minutes left in the first overtime period. Off a corner kick, the Purple Aces’ Jacopo Fedrizzi sent another in-swinging ball that redirected off the head of Bowling Green’s Christensen into the roof of the net for an own goal. Ending the match and sending Evansville to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
At the end of the game, the Falcons were outshot 10 to five on the night; half of the Purple Ace’s shots were on target, while all five shots for BG were on goal.
30 fouls were called in an intense and physical final, 16 committed by Bowling Green and 14 for Evansville.
The Falcons will have to wait to see if they receive an at-large bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament during the selection show on Monday, Nov. 18, at 1 p.m.
