EVANSVILLE, IND. -- A header by Tom Irvin from six yards out in the 52nd minute proved to be the difference as Evansville stopped No. 24 ranked Drake, 1-0, in a nationally televised Missouri Valley Conference match on the Fox Soccer Channel Friday night.
Drake, which had claimed a 1-0 home victory past Evansville on Oct. 10, fell to 9-5-1 overall, including a 4-2 conference mark.
The match was played before a season high crowd of 1,758 fans at McCutchan Stadium
"This was an exciting opportunity for our program to be showcased on national TV," said Drake head coach Sean Holmes. "Of course, losing never feels good, but I was proud of the effort by our guys in difficult circumstances under a large vocal road crowd. Evansville had a lot of energy."
The evenly played match featured 17 shots by Evansville and 13 by Drake.
"The goal was a mental letdown and you can't do that at this level and win games," Holmes added. "Traditionally we are dominant at center and midfield, but tonight Evansville neutralized us."
Senior Kevin Shrout (Lee's Summit, Mo.) and sophomore Hunter Kennedy (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) paced Drake's offensive attack with four and three shots, respectively.
Junior goalkeeper Michael Drozd (Harwood Heights, Ill.) recorded three saves for Drake.
The Purple Aces improved their record to 10-5-1, including a 4-3-1 league mark.
Four schools - Drake, Creighton, Missouri State and Evansville - have each posted four victories in the MVC.
"When you look across the country you are seeing more parity in conference play," said Holmes. "Every game is a toss up and in the long run that is good for our sport. We cherish the opportunity to play these types of games on national tv."
