Aces to play tough schedule this season
 With three-consecutive trips to the Missouri Valley Conference Championship match, the University of Evansville women’s soccer team looks to take the next step to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons as they embark on the 2017 season.
On Friday, the Purple Aces announced the 2017 slate, which features ten regular season home games.
“I am looking forward to getting back on the field with the team in August and feel that our non-conference schedule will challenge and prepare us for conference play,†Aces head coach Krista McKendree said.
On August 9, UE will play one of two exhibition contests. That day, the Aces face defending Ohio Valley Conference Champion SIU Edwardsville. The Cougars also made a splash in a trip to the NCAA Tournament, defeating Notre Dame on penalty kicks in the opening round. Two days later, preseason play wraps up with a trip to Murray State.
Southeast Missouri State will mark the regular season opener at home on Friday, August 18. It is also the Go4TheGoal game, which helps to benefit kids with cancer. Game time is 7 p.m. Last year, the teams played to a 0-0 tie in Cape Girardeau. That contest is the first of three at Arad McCutchan Stadium to begin the 2017 campaign. On August 20, UE welcomes UT Martin before the homestand is completed on the 25th versus IUPUI. The Jaguars were 9-7-3 in 2016.
A trip to Fort Wayne on August 27 will mark the first road contest before the squad returns home for a high-profile match against Illinois. The Fighting Illini come to town on Friday, September 1 for a 1:30 p.m. match. It is the first home match against a school from the Big Ten Conference since 2010 when Indiana University came to town.
Later that weekend, the Aces make a quick trip to Bowling Green, Ky. to take on Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers were 12-6-1 last year; the teams play on Sunday, Sept. 3.
Another 3-match homestand commences on Sept. 8 with a match versus Miami Ohio. The Aces defeated the RedHawks by a final of 2-0 last year in Oxford. The annual contest to benefit Multiple Sclerosis research will be held on Sept. 10 against Morehead State before the home non-conference slate wraps up against Saint Louis on the 15th. The Billikens are coming off of a solid 14-4-2 campaign.
Evansville makes a quick trip to Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 17 before returning home to start MVC play. The conference opener will take place at home on the 22nd against Loyola. UE then takes to the road for a pivotal swing, beginning on Sept. 30 at UNI. Last year, the Aces grabbed a 3-1 win over the Panthers. The month of October begins with a trip to defending champion Illinois State on the 7th. The Redbirds were 14-6-3 in 2016 and defeated the Aces in the league championship by a 2-1 final.
It is back home for the squad on Oct. 14 for a big match-up against Drake. The Bulldogs notched 12 wins last year, but it was UE taking the head-to-head matchup by a 1-0 fina.
The Aces head north on Route 41 to Terre Haute to take on the Sycamores on October 18 before coming back to McCutchan Stadium for the home finale, which is also Senior Day as they will play Missouri State. The final match of the regular season will see the Aces face Valparaiso for the first time as members of the MVC. That game is set for October 26.
Opening round play of the MVC Championship will be held on campus sites on Oct. 29 with the league championship taking place from November 3-5 at Missouri State.
