Jimmy Klatter recorded a hat trick and the Panthers blew the Purple Aces away in a 5-1 victory when the team visited Evansville last season.

But this year is much different than last for both Eastern and Evansville.

Much like the Panthers, the Purple Aces got off to a great start with a 7-4 record, including their best non-conference record in 10 years.

But also like Eastern, Evansville has not turned their good non-conference play into early Missouri Valley Conference success.

Both teams will be looking for their first MVC win when the Purple Aces come to Lakeside Field on Sunday to take on the Panthers at 3 p.m.

First-year Evansville head coach Mike Jacobs, the former top assistant for four years at Duke, has led his team behind the scoring abilities of junior forwards Cory Elenio and Ian McAuley. Elenio has seven goals on the season and McAuley is just behind him with six scores.

Their success so far this season is somewhat surprising. McAuley, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, red shirted last season after sustaining a serious leg injury but has started 10 of 11 games for Jacobs this season.

Head coach Adam Howarth is aware of Evansville’s two talented strikers, and he is planning for them.

“We have to be aware of them at all times,” Howarth said. “(McAuley and Elenio) are pesky strikers and we need to be on them tough.”

Elenio had only one goal last season while playing in 16 of 17 games for former Evansville coach Dave Golan.

The Purple Aces were outscored 17-2 that year in MVC play and were winless in the conference. They managed just a 2-14-1 record last year.

But with their two experienced strikers leading the way, Evansville is improving.

“We have a young nucleus, a lot of new players,” Jacobs said, about what is different this year with his team. “I would say the personnel is the biggest difference since last year.”

Howarth thinks there is more to Evansville’s success than new players.

“They are an improved team with a new coach and a new atmosphere,” Howarth said.

Evansville has only played one conference game, while the Panthers have played two. Eastern opened up conference play last weekend, dropping their MVC opener 2-0 to Missouri State. Eastern then tied Western Kentucky on Wednesday afternoon.

The Purple Aces opened their conference season with a loss at Bradley but have not played a second game.

Despite his limited experience as a head coach in the MVC, Jacobs had a two-year stint as an assistant coach for the Purple Aces and he understands the difficulty of the conference.

“The Missouri Valley is regarded as on of the most difficult conferences in the nation,” Jacobs said. “There are no easy games and we respect that fact and know we have to play hard every game.”