They've been plugging along all season, and now as the final match of the regular season approaches on Saturday night, the University of Evansville men's soccer team is doing much more than plugging along. The Aces are playing for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Now 10-7-0 and 3-2-0 in the MVC under second-year head coach Mike Jacobs, Evansville has reached double figures in victories for the first time since the 1999 team finished 10-7-3. One more victory would give the Aces their most wins since the 1996 squad went 18-5-0 and won the MVC tournament. The Aces host the nation's number seven ranked team, Creighton (9-1-5, 3-0-2), on Saturday at 7:00 cst at Black Beauty Field on UE's Senior Night. Creighton is ranked number five nationally in the latest RPI rating by the NCAA.

Creighton is tied for first place in the Valley with Bradley, also 3-0-2. Bradley hosts Western Kentucky Saturday in its final league match. At 3-2-0, Evansville still has a chance to win its first MVC regular season title, by defeating Creighton while Western Kentucky defeats Bradley. In the MVC soccer standings, a win is worth three points and a tie is worth one point.

At 3-2-0 in the league, the Aces have won their most league games since winning four in 2004. That was the only year since 1999 that Evansville beat Creighton, scoring in the final two minutes to edge the Jays 2-1 at Black Beauty Field.

"We take a lot of pride and responsibility to give our fans games like this," says Jacobs about Saturday night's match. "Our fans expect us to be competitive like this at this time of the season. Playing a team like Creighton on this stage at this time of the season is why players come to the University of Evansville. And Senior Night makes it that much more special."

Seniors include current MVC Offensive Player of the Week Cory Elenio, along with Ian McAuley, Dustin Awe, Ben Harner, Erik Johnson and Corey Southers.

There's another special factor to Saturday's match. It's the beginning of the month-long UE Soccer 'Kick The Cold, Give A Coat' program for the upcoming winter in conjunction with Don's and Clayton's cleaners. Last year's first such program brought in 88 coats for persons in need in the Evansville area, and it was such a big success that it was recognized on the editorial page of the Evansville Courier & Press. UE will allow one free admittance for each jacket donated at Saturday's soccer match, and each person who donates will receive a raffle ticket for each jacket donated. Items raffled off will include a free camp tuition to the 2008 ACES SOCCER CAMP, as well as Aces soccer equipment and apparel.