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If there’s any doubt about the importance of Evansville’s four seniors this year, just take a look at the statistics.  Leading scorer: Mike Luttrull.  Second in scoring: Tyler Kincaid and Tom Irvin.  Fourth: Robby Lynch.  The four members of UE’s senior class have accounted for 16 of Evansville’s 28 goals.  They play their final home match Saturday at 1:00 CDT against the Bears of the University of Central Arkansas.  Three of the four are among the active career scoring leaders in the MVC.  Irvin has 17 goals and 29 assists for 63 points, tying him with Creighton’s Ethan Finlay for first place.  Luttrull is third with 26 goals and 10 assists for 62, and Lynch is fifth with 16 goals and 17 assists for 49 points.

TOURNAMENT BERTH AT STAKE
A victory Saturday guarantees Evansville a spot in next week’s six-team State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Peoria, Ill.  In fact, the only way Evansville can be kept out is by losing Saturday and Eastern Illinois winning later Saturday afternoon at home against Drake.  The tournament begins Wednesday with the #3 finisher in the MVC playing #6, and #4 playing #5.  The two winners join the top two teams in Friday’s semifinals, and the championship match is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 14 at 1:05 CST.  Going into the final day of league play on Saturday, Creighton sits at the top at 5-0-1.  Missouri State and SIUE are 4-1-1, Drake is 3-2-1, Bradley is 2-3-1, Evansville is 2-4-0, Eastern Illinois is 1-4-1 and Central Arkansas is 0-6.  Teams get three points for a league win, and one for a draw.

THE SERIES
This will be the third match between Evansville and the University of Central Arkansas.  Evansville won 3-1 in 2006 at a tournament hosted by Missouri State University, and 3-0 in 2008 at the University of Kentucky Invitational.

ABOUT THE BEARS
The only team standing in the way of Evansville advancing to the State Farm MVC Tournament is Central Arkansas, which joined the MVC in men’s soccer along with SIU Edwardsville this year.  The Bears have lost six in a row and are 0-6 in league play, but three of their six MVC losses have been by just one goal, and two of those came in two-overtime contests.  UCA took defending MVC Tournament champ Drake into the second OT at Des Moines last Saturday before losing 2-1.  Junior Wynne Mason and sophomore Joseph Cervantes lead Central Arkansas in scoring with three goals each.  The Bears have been held to 12 goals in 15 matches.
 
TWO ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA FINALISTS
Seniors Robby Lynch and Mike Luttrull were chosen this week as finalists for the ESPN Academic All-America Division I Men’s Soccer Team by earning first team all-District 5 honors.  The Academic All-America Team will be announced later this month. Luttrull was a second team Academic All-American last year, and Lynch made the NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-America Team.  Only twice previously (softball 1987, baseball 1991) have two players from the same University of Evansville team been chosen as Academic All-Americans in the same year.

2010 HONOREES
Senior midfielder Robby Lynch was chosen Sept. 20 as one of the top 100 players in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer.  He was also one of 30 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Lynch was the Defensive MVP at the Portland Nike Invitational Sept. 5, and one week later earned the same honor at the ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic.  Top Drawer Soccer chose defender Brandon Causey and midfielder Ryan Buda as two of the nation's top 100 freshmen.  Causey was picked #65 and Buda #84. Mike Luttrull was Offensive MVP of the ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic after scoring four goals and making an assist in the two matches.  Also making the all-tournament team from UE were forward/midfielder Tad Kreamalmeyer and defender Jarrett Robbins.
 
NEED A WIN STREAK TO KEEP THE WIN STREAK
The Aces need to win Saturday, win the MVC Tournament and win one NCAA Tournament match in order to extend their streak to five consecutive winning seasons.  Under fifth year coach Mike Jacobs, Evansville has produced four straight winning seasons for the first time since 1989 through 1992.