A very good season could turn into a very special season this weekend for the University of Evansville soccer team. Coach Mike Jacobs' Purple Aces are two victories away from earning an automatic berth in next week's NCAA Tournament.

The #4 seed Aces take on #1 Missouri State in the first semifinal match of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Tournament Friday at 3:30 CST at the Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines, Iowa. #2 Drake meets #3 Creighton in the other semifinal at 6:00, and the winners meet Sunday at 1:05 in the championship match that will be televised live by Fox Sports Midwest. Evansville takes an 11-7-1 overall record and 5-4-1 league record into Friday's match against Missouri State. The Aces finished in a third place tie with Creighton in the final regular season standings.

MOST VICTORIES SINCE 1996

Evansville goes into the State Farm MVC Tournament with 11 victories, the most since the 1996 team finished 18-5. 1996 was the last time Evansville reached the NCAA Tournament, and the only time that Evansville won the MVC Tournament. UE has been a league member since 1994.

AGAINST THE OTHER THREE

The Aces were 1-4-1 against the other three MVC Tournament teams. They were 0-2 against Missouri State, 1-1 against Drake, and 0-1-1 against Creighton. The win over Drake came October 23 at Evansville, and the tie against Creighton came at Evansville October 17. Friday's semifinal opponent, Missouri State, scored second half goals in both matches against the Aces to beat them 1-0 at Evansville October 21 and 1-0 at Springfield November 4.

BALANCED SCORING

UE's top four scorers have scored five goals each. Junior forward Tom Irvin (5-8--18) and junior midfielder Robby Lynch (5-5--15) scored their fifth goals in Saturday's 2-1 win over Bradley, joining sophomore forward Tad Kreamalmeyer (5-3--13) and junior forward Mike Luttrull (5-1--11).

4 WINNING SEASONS UNDER JACOBS

Under fourth year coach Mike Jacobs, Evansville has produced four consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1989 through 1992. The Aces finished third in the MVC regular season standings this year, and in 2007. Before that, 1997 was Evansville's most recent top three finish.

WINNING WITH DEFENSE

Evansville was ranked among the nation’s highest scoring teams in non-conference play, but defense has been the hallmark since then. The Aces outscored the opposition 12-9 in the 10 league matches. Only once in MVC matches did UE allow more than one goal, at Creighton October 3 in a 2-1 loss. In the eight MVC matches after that, the Aces gave up one goal seven times, and posted one shutout (1-0 over Drake).

UE’S MVC TOURNEY HISTORY

The Aces have reached the championship match of the MVC Tournament twice. They lost at home to Creighton in 1995 by a 2-1 score, then won the 1996 MVC Tournament with a 3-2 overtime win over Creighton on the Bluejays’ home field. Since then, their highest tournament finish has been third, in 1999 and 2007. Evansville's most recent victory came in 2007 at Omaha, Neb., where the Aces edged Missouri State in a shootout, 5-3, to advance to the semifinals.

EVANSVILLE’S PROUD HISTORY

Evansville competed in 11 NCAA Tournaments under head coach Fred Schmalz from 1982-1996, including College Cup Final Four appearances in 1985 and 1990. Twelve of his players earned All-America honors. Rob Paterson earned the 1989 Adi Dassler Memorial Award, given each year by Adidas to the nation’s top player. One year later, David Weir led the nation in goals with 24 and was a first team All-American. Weir, a native of Scotland, later became the first American collegiate player to compete for a European team in the World Cup. He recently signed another one-year contract with Rangers FC of Glasgow, which will keep him playing at the highest level of European soccer at least through his 40th birthday, on May 10, 2010.

ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATES

Juniors Mike Luttrull (3.82 GPA/Accounting) and Robby Lynch (3.58/Exercise Science) have been chosen as finalists for the Men’s Soccer Academic All-America Team after earning first team all-District V honors last week. Luttrull was also a finalist in 2008. The Academic All-America team will be announced around December 1.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

#13 Tom Irvin, #11 Mike Luttrull and #10 Tad Kreamalmeyer are the three starting forwards. #21 Tyler Crawford and #23 Tyler Kincaid are usually the first attacking players off the bench. Irvin is unmatched in the MVC in his ability to make long, accurate throw-ins...At 6’7”, #22 Jarrett Robbins is always a threat to score on corner kicks...Also excellent in the air is #7 Robby Lynch...Taking the corner kicks are usually #9 Richard Menjivar (right footed) and #5 Blake Schneider (left footed). Schneider also serves up most free kicks...#4 Dan Gibson took UE’s lone penalty kick this season, October 17 against Creighton. It was blocked, but Gibson put back the rebound for a goal...#12 Justin Sass is the leader on defense from his central defender spot...#18 Phil Boerger has started all 19 matches in goal, and is allowing just 1.07 goals per match.