The University of Evansville men’s soccer team and head coach Marshall Ray have announced their 2018 schedule including 21 dates with a trio of exhibitions.

The Purple Aces are coming off a 2017 campaign that saw Evansville finish with an 11-8-2 overall record, marking back-to-back seasons in which Evansville won double-digit matches; the first time UE had done so since the 1995 and 1996 seasons. In the postseason, the Aces advanced to the semifinals of the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament for the second-straight year, also marking the first time Evansville has accomplished the feat since 1995 and 1996.

“We are excited for the start of training camp in August,” said Ray. “I am anxious to see the additions to our coaching staff and roster at work on the field.  We lost several key contributors from our 2017 roster and it will be an important two weeks for us as we find our way with 13 new additions to the team.  I am certain our returning players understand the groundwork that has been laid the past three seasons. It is important for us to transition our new players as quickly as possible into the culture that is demanded by the tradition of our program.”

To open the season, UE takes part in a pair of exhibitions as well as an alumni match beginning on August 11th with the Purple Aces alumni match. Following the alumni match, the Aces face Louisville on the road on August 18 in an exhibition contest against a Cardinals side that reached the quarterfinals of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship. UE closes out regular season competition on August 19 back at Arad McCutchan Stadium against Bellarmine in the Aces’ final tune-up before regular season play begins.

Evansville opens the regular season on the road on August 24 and 26 when the Aces face Western Athletic Conference members UNLV and Utah Valley in Orem, Utah. The three-game road trip to open the season continues for UE with a trip to Eastern Illinois on August 31. On September 2, the Aces host IUPUI at Arad McCutchan Stadium for Evansville’s home-opener.

A string of four premier home games highlights the early portion of the schedule. The Aces open this stretch on September 7 against Grand Canyon. 2017 national runner-up Indiana comes to Arad McCutchan Stadium on September 21 to renew the rivalry for the 37th time.

The second half of the stretch of premier matches continues with UE’s MVC opener against Missouri State on September 29 and concludes with a matchup with in-state foe Butler, who were 2017 Big East regular season champions, on October 2.

UE returns to conference play on October 6 on the road at reigning MVC Tournament Champion Central Arkansas before returning home to face Lipscomb in a non-conference contest on October 9.

Hitting the midway point in the month of October, the Aces play host to Drake on October 13 and challenge SIU Edwardsville on October 16 in McCutchan Stadium.

After taking two of three matchups last season, Evansville travels to Chicago, Ill. to take on Loyola on October 20. In the Aces’ final non-conference test of the season, UE heads to face Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. on October 23.

To close out the regular season, the Aces host Valparaiso on Homecoming and Senior Day on October 27 in Evansville’s home finale before heading to Peoria, Ill. to complete the regular season ar Bradley on November 3.

For the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, the Aces would play in a familiar venue if they would qualify as Evansville was selected to host the 2018 edition of the tournament at Arad McCutchan Stadium.

“Our 2018 non-conference schedule is going to prepare us for the battles faced during Missouri Valley Conference play,” said Ray. “We are bringing some of the best players and programs in the country to our campus this fall as well as traveling out west again to test our skills against two of the best programs in the WAC.  We have to stay focused on who we are and continue to put the work in on a daily basis as we maneuver through the non-conference schedule in preparation for each conference match.  It is vital, we take the 2018 schedule one match at a time.”

With five runs in the final two innings, the Evansville Otters came storming back to top the Gateway Grizzlies 7-6 in the rubber match of the series at Bosse Field on Thursday evening at Bosse Field in front of 1,540 fans.

Jeff Cardenas opened the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the second inning to put the Grizzlies up 1-0.

Shane Mardirosian pushed the lead to 2-0 with an RBI single in the third, before an RBI groundout from Cam Adams made it a 3-0game in favor of the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies tacked on another run in the fifth on another RBI single from Mardirosian.

The Otters cut the deficit in half on a Toby Thomas two-run double in the bottom of the sixth.

Gateway got those runs back immediately in the top of the seventh on Brent Sakurai’s two-run single.

The Otters made it a one-run game with three runs in the eighth. Joe DeLuca got the scoring started with an RBI double. Hunter Cullen then drove in a run with a groundout before Manny Cruz cut the deficit to 6-5 with an RBI single to right.

In the ninth, Ryan Long lead off with a double off the right-field wall. Thomas walked to put runners at first and second before Jeff Gardner singled to right to tie the game at 6-6. After an intentional walk to Joe Lytle loaded the bases, DeLuca lifted a ball to left that was deep enough to score Thomas from third and win the game for the Otters on the sacrifice fly 7-6.

Tyler Beardsley gets the win for the Otters, his second, after throwing a scoreless ninth.

Josh Glick is hit with the loss for the second straight game after allowing two runs on two hits in 0.1 sinning.

Otters starter Tyler Vail gets the no-decision after tossing 4.1 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out four.

Taso Stathopoulos also receives a no decision as he threw 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on five hits.

The nine-game homestand for the Otters will now finish with a three-game series against the River City Rascals. The series against the Rascals will be highlighted by Edward Jones Night and postgame fireworks, Heritage Federal Credit Union hat giveaway and Boy Scout Night, and another family fun day. Tickets are still available at evansvilleotters.com or by calling 812-435- 8686.