EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Evansville broke through in the second half to defeat NIU 1-0 on Friday, extending its winning streak to two matches. Nate Roberts scored the decisive goal in the 58th minute as the Purple Aces improved to 6-3-8 overall with their first conference victory of the evening.
The first 45 minutes produced few clear-cut opportunities despite both teams generating chances. NIU pressed early with shots from Martin Montoya, Vance Sheffield, and Tomasz Slawek, while Evansville's Martin Wurschmidt and Ben Zec tested the Huskies' defense. The teams remained deadlocked at halftime with neither goalkeeper seriously tested.
Evansville made three substitutions at the break, replacing Tancredi Fadda, Chase Ricker, and Álvaro Timón. NIU countered with changes of its own, removing Tobias Crear and Katai Mukuka. The adjustments proved decisive as the home side controlled the second-half tempo.
Roberts capitalized on Evansville's improved positioning in the 58th minute to break the stalemate. The goal proved sufficient as the Purple Aces' defense tightened considerably after taking the lead, frustrating NIU's attempts to equalize.
NIU dominated possession metrics, outshooting Evansville 20-9 overall and 10-4 on target. The Huskies earned nine corner kicks compared to three for the hosts, reflecting their sustained pressure. However, Evansville