Box Score (.html) I Box Score (.pdf) I Photo Gallery I Highlights I Pursey Postgame

INDIANAPOLIS - IUPUI sophomore forward Valentine Pursey tallied her first goal of the year and junior netminder Sophia Lipka registered her 13th career shutout as the Jaguars outlasted Evansville, 1-0 at Carroll Stadium on Sunday (Sept. 9). The win snapped the Jaguars' six game winless streak and kept IUPUI undefeated in three home contests this season. 

IUPUI (2-4-2) got the game's only goal with time winding down in regulation as Pursey finally broke her personal scoreless drought with her 14th career score. Sophomore back Natalie McNally aimed a corner kick to the near post to junior Emma Chambers, who redirected the ball toward the Aces' six-yard box. Pursey was in the right place and the right time and poked a shot past UE's Michaela Till from point blank range. 

"It feels great. We felt some momentum in practice this week. We felt like we needed this win to go forward and get ready for conference games," Pursey said. "It felt great to get a goal. I felt like I needed it and now we've just got to keep going and everyone needs to get more goals so we can keep winning games."

At the other end of the field, Lipka was tested more significantly in the second half and made five stops in her second shutout of the 2018 season. 

The day was filled with rain, wind and cooler temperatures, making possession a struggle for both sides. IUPUI, with the wind at its back in the first half, had the superior run of play in the opening 45 minutes, limiting the Purple Aces to just one shot. 

Evansville (2-6) was the better team early in the second half as both Amanda DaSilva and Molly Lear had quality looks on frame against Lipka. However, the Jaguars' corner kicks in the 78th and 79th minutes - their only two of the half - proved to be the deciders. 

McNally's initial attempt from the near corner was played out, resulting in a second chance from the opposite corner. That's when she connected with Chambers to setup Pursey's game-winner, the seventh of her short career. 

It was both McNally and Chambers' second assists of the season. 

The Jaguars' defensive core was the epitome of 'bend but don't break', allowing 13 shots overall and nine corner kicks. McNally and Becca Spitalniak played all 90 minutes while Morgan Rymer played 86 of 90 minutes. 

Lipka lowered her goals against average to 1.38 on the season while extending a personal shutout streak to nearly 210 minutes without yielding a score. 

IUPUI will return to action next Friday night (Sept. 14) when the Jaguars open Horizon League play at Cleveland State at 7:00 p.m.. That match will be aired on ESPN3 as well.