University of Evansville Men's Soccer

After guiding the University of Evansville men's soccer program to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 28 years in 2024, his second season as head coach, Robbe Tarver enters his third full season leading the Purple Aces in 2025.  Tarver's second season as head coach of the Aces saw the program return to the national stage, capturing the MVC Tournament title for the second time in program history and for the first time since 1996. The title run included victories over two nationally-ranked opponents (Western Michigan & Missouri State) before a dramatic win over Bowling Green in the final. The quarterfinal win over the Broncos came on the road and saw Evansville net the game-winner in double overtime. The semifinal victory also came on the road, as the Aces shut out top-seeded Missouri State, who entered the match undefeated in MVC play. Finally, Tarver's bunch completed their magical run with a 3-2 overtime victory over Bowling Green, clinching the title with a goal in the 99th minute of play. Evansville finished the 2024 season with the program's most wins since 2017 and its best winning percentage since 2009. The Aces' 35 goals were the most in a season dating back to 2007. Under Tarver's guidance, forward Nacho Diaz Barragan earned All-MVC Second Team and United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Second Team laurels, while Michal Mroz and Jacopo Fedrizzi were named to the MVC All-Freshman Team. Kai Philip was named MVC Tournament MVP, while Fedrizzi, Nacho Garcia, and Martin Wurschmidt were named to the All-Tournament Team. The 2023 season, Tarver's first season as the Aces' head man, saw Kai Phillip earn All-MVC First Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Region Third Team honors, while David Hernandez was named to the MVC All-Freshman Team.  Prior to being named Head Coach, Tarver spent three season on staff as an assistant coach and associate head coach since joining the team in January 2020, helping the team reach back-to-back MVC Tournament finals (2021 & 2022). Prior to UE, Tarver spent three seasons as a volunteer assistant coach with the University of Louisville men's soccer program under current head coach John Michael Hayden and former head coach Ken Lolla. At Louisville, Tarver assisted in opposition scouting, daily operations of training, recruiting organization and travel coordination.  Previous to joining the Cardinals, Tarver served as the assistant coach for three seasons at his alma mater, Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. During his tenure at Centre, Tarver served as the recruiting coordinator, and helped the Colonels capture their first Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Tournament Championship and the program's sixth conference championship crown overall in 2016.  In his playing career, Tarver was a 2x captain for the Colonels, achieving all-conference and all-region honors. He was invited to the USL Combine in 2014 and spent a season playing in Costa Rica for JuventudEscazuceña.  What Others Are Saying About Robbe Tarver "I am so exited for Robbe and this opportunity. He has been such an instrumental piece to the recent success we have have had here at Louisville. Evansville is fortunate to be gathering such a quality individual and I look forward to seeing him continue to grow further in this profession"  - John Michael Hayden, Head Men's Soccer Coach, University of Louisville "Robbe Tarver was a tremendous asset to our program throughout his time at Louisville. His tireless work ethic and strong character were the cornerstones of his impact. Robbe will be a great addition to Evansville and will help continue the strong tradition of the program." - Ken Lolla, Former Head Men's Soccer Coach, University of Louisville

Matt Melzer enters his second season as assistant coach for the Purple Aces in 2025 after being hired in the Spring of 2023. In his first season on staff in the River City, Melzer helped Evansville capture their first MVC Tournament title since 1996 and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 28 years.  Prior to joining UE, Melzer spent four seasons as assistant coach at his alma mater, Transylvania University. At Transylvania, Melzer had a major role in recruiting, running training sessions and organizing ID Camps. Through personal development plans, Melzer mentored 24 players to all conference awards. Melzer has been a vital part of the men's soccer program for 8 of the last 10 years as a player and a coach. He has been part of 76 wins over those 8 years (one of which was the shortened Covid season). As a player, Melzer received the most impactful freshman award, and finished his career as captain with all-conference honors and he was named Transylvania's MVP. During his four years playing with Transylvania, the Pioneers produced a record of 44 wins against 18 losses and 14 draws. In addition to his on-field accolades, he also served as president of Transylvania's Student Athlete Advisory Committee his senior year and received the Senior Leadership Award among all male student-athletes. "We are excited to have Matt join our staff. He knows how to operate at a liberal arts institution like Evansville, and he has experience developing a successful culture and successful student-athletes at Transy," said Tarver. "He's a relentless recruiter who is willing to leave no stone unturned. As good of a coach as Matt is, he's a better person. He's going to have a big impact here at UE." What others are saying about Matt Melzer: "This move is so well deserved. Melzer is a great coach. His willingness to work hard and ability to connect with people are second to none. The buzz around the program would not be where it is today without his efforts. I am very fortunate to have worked with him in my first year as a head coach. We are all sad to see him leave, but excited to see what he accomplishes next." - Ben Federici, Head Men’s Soccer Coach, Transylvania University "Melzer is one of the best leaders and people I know. He is hard-working, principled and cares deeply about the people he coaches and works with. No matter where he has been, Matt always finds ways to make a positive impact in the lives of others. He is a tremendous hire and an asset to any program lucky enough to have him." - Matt Vogel, Former Head Men’s Soccer Coach, Transylvania University

After having an integral role in helping the Purple Aces to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996 in 2024, Orry Killam enters his second season with the University of Evansville men’s soccer program in 2025. Serving as the program’s graduate assistant, Killam’s responsibilities include coaching the goalkeepers and helping with travel operations. In 2024, Killam helped freshman Michal Mroz land on the MVC All-Freshman Team and lead the Aces to the MVC Tournament title. Under Killam’s guidance, Mroz ranked second in the MVC with 4.10 saves per game and posted five clean sheets, good for the second-most in the conference. In 2025, Mroz entered the season as the goalkeeper on the MVC Preseason All-Conference Team. An accomplished goalkeeper in his own right, Killam played at Defiance College from 2019-23 and holds numerous programs records, including most career saves (429), most career minutes played in goal (6,047), and most career shutouts (13).