INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI men's soccer team put on an offensive performance for the ages, tallying five times against visiting Eastern Illinois on Friday night (Sept. 2), sending first year head coach Sid van Druenen to his first career victory on the Jaguars' sidelines. Redshirt freshman Josemir Gomez scored a pair of goals and junior midfielder Lukas Hackaa had a goal and two assists in the victory. 

"It feels great," a soaking wet van Druenen said, after being awarded a postgame water cooler drenching from his squad. "Winning is what we work for, so getting a win - and a convincing win - it's very positive and we feel very good about it.

"(The attack) is progress. We've been together for three-and-a-half weeks and it's ups and downs. The ups are going to be really high and the downs are going to be really low, unfortunately. I think the guys have to try and understand how we want to play and what we're trying to do and how hard it is to compete at a consistent level. Today, they figured it out and they executed the gameplan really well and my hope is that we can do it again on Sunday."

The gameplan was clearly to attack early and often as the Jaguars pressing nature forced EIU mistakes, leading to quick scoring opportunities. 

Gomez opened the scoring in the seventh minute, getting on the finishing end of a Tyler Gainer cross for his first collegiate score. However, EIU (0-2-1) leveled the score less than two minutes later when Sam Eccles rolled a shot into an empty net after Lucas Morefield was beaten from the right side. Rather than absorb the blow, IUPUI (1-1-1) fired back, this time with Hackaa scoring for the second time in the season's first three contests. 

Freshman back Edgar Correia played a gorgeous diagonal ball over the EIU defense to Hackaa on the far side, who was able to compose before driving a shot past EIU keeper Chad Smith. Logan Finnegan capped the first half scoring on a nifty restart combination in the 33rd minute. Correia rolled a pass out wide to Hackaa, who centered the action to Finnegan for a strike inside the 18-yard box. 

Even after taking a 3-1 lead into the break, the IUPUI attack kept firing after intermission. 

Gomez tallied again in the 56th minute when a Dominic Breidenbach cross skipped off the head of an EIU defender to the IUPUI attacker at the far post. Gomez did the rest, easily redirecting a header past Smith for a multi-goal game. Freshman Gavin O'Shea capped the scoring in the 82nd minute as Caleb McComas drove a pass deep into the EIU penalty area, setting up the night's final score. 

IUPUI outshot EIU 18-12, putting 10 attempts on frame while limiting EIU to just three shots on goal. Morefield made two saves in recording his first win of the year while Finnegan ripped off a game-high six shot attempts. The five goals scored were IUPUI's most since hanging six on Marian on Oct. 28, 2009 and it was the most against a Division I opponent since dropping five on IPFW on Nov. 9, 2007. 

IUPUI will cap the two-game homestand on Sunday (Sept. 4) when the Jaguars host Western Illinois at 4:00 p.m. at the on-campus Michael A. Carroll Stadium. Admission to Sunday's contest is FREE of charge.