Aces coming off much-improved 2016 campaign
 In just his second season at the helm, University of Evansville head men’s soccer coach Marshall Ray engineered the second-largest turnaround in program history, leading the Purple Aces to 10 wins in 2016. Heading into this season, Ray and his squad are anxious to get back to work as the 2017 schedule has been released.
“It is important we stay focused on who we are and what the tradition of our program demands of us. Our players and staff must approach every day with the same attitude and effort that has allowed us to make great strides on and off the field in the last 2.5 years,†UE head coach Marshall Ray said. “We are excited for the start of training camp in August and look forward to the opportunity to continue to improve. We have made strides, but still have a tremendous amount of work to do to emulate the success of past Aces teams.â€
“Our 2017 non-conference schedule is going to prepare us for the rigors of the Missouri Valley Conference,†Ray added. “There is no question that we play in one of the most competitive leagues in the country, and with the addition of Valparaiso our league has gotten better from top to bottom. You can look through our schedule and see multiple 10 win teams and conference champions from 2016. This schedule will challenge us and allow us the opportunity to continue to grow as a program.â€
Preseason play takes place on Sunday, August 20 as UE welcomes IUPUI to Arad McCutchan Stadium. The regular season quickly commences five days later with a home contest against Oakland City. Evansville welcomes the Mighty Oaks at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 25. The Aces finish their opening weekend against a familiar squad – Marshall University. Last season, the Aces grabbed a 2-1 home win over the Thundering Herd and look for another victory on the 27th in Huntington, W.Va.
Next up is the annual ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic. One of the most prestigious yearly traditions for the Aces soccer program will see three stout teams making their way to Evansville – Milwaukee, Northern Illinois and Bradley. UE starts the weekend with a 7 p.m. match against Milwaukee on Sept. 1. The Panthers went 8-8-3 last year and were 5-3-1 in Horizon League action. Two days later, Evansville faces off against NIU at 2:30 p.m. Other matches over the weekend feature Bradley taking on Milwaukee and NIU.
An exciting non-conference trip will take place on Sept. 7 as UE heads to Phoenix, Ariz. to take on upstart Grand Canyon University. The Antelopes participate in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Evansville remains in the road for another big match-up on Sept. 12 when they make the trek to Indianapolis to face Butler. The defending Big East Champions went 13-5-2 last year and 9-1-1 at home on their way to a final ranking of #18.
A home match versus Eastern Illinois is the final tune-up on the 17th before the Aces commence Missouri Valley Conference play six days later at Missouri State. The Bears posted a 9-8-3 mark in 2016 and split the season series with UE as both road teams picked up the win. Valley play continues on Wednesday, Sept. 27 with a home match versus Bradley. UE defeated the Braves by a 2-0 final last year.
It is back to non-conference action to start the month of October as the Purple Aces head north on Interstate 69 to Bloomington to face Indiana University. The Hoosiers finished last year ranked 9th in the nation after going 12-2-7 while playing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. IU was 3-0-5 last year in Big Ten play.
MVC play resumes on Oct. 7 as the Aces head to Valparaiso for their first meeting as conference foes. The Crusaders notched a 10-5-4 record last year in their final season as members of the Horizon League. Two home matches are on tap following that trip. The Aces welcome Belmont to McCutchan Stadium on Oct. 10. UE defeated the Bruins by a 2-0 final last season.
On October 14, the Aces play host to Loyola. The Ramblers were the top MVC squad in the 2016 regular season, going 14-4-1 overall and 6-1-1 in the Valley while finishing the season ranked 21st in the country. Evansville played the Ramblers tough last year, with the match finishing in a 1-1 tie. Loyola defeated UIC in the opening round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament before falling to Notre Dame in the second round.
UE takes to the road on October 18 to play at Lipscomb. The Bisons went 10-6-2 last year. Three days later, it is back to MVC play with a trip to Des Moines, Iowa to face Drake. In 2016, the Aces went 2-0 against the Bulldogs. They earned a 4-3 win in Des Moines before opening up the conference championship with a 2-1 triumph.
A 3-match homestand will mark the end of the 2017 home slate. That stretch starts with Central Arkansas on Oct. 24 before finishing up the season series against Drake on Saturday, Oct. 28. The final home match is set for Halloween when UE hosts Northern Kentucky, a team they defeated on the road last season by a 2-0 final.
Regular-season play wraps up on Saturday, November 4 in a match that may have postseason implication as the Aces head to Chicago to take on Loyola to wrap up their in-season home-and-home league series. The MVC Championship begins on Nov. 7.
