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In the 22-year history of the ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic, the University of Evansville has generally been an accommodating host.  The Purple Aces have won the event only seven times, and never in back to back years until 2008 and 2009.

All of which means the Aces can make history again this weekend by winning the ProRehab for a third  consecutive year.  They start out Friday at 7:30 against Alabama A&M, and finish up Sunday at 2:30 against East Tennessee State.  The tournament's other two matches include Bradley against East Tennessee State on Friday at 5:00, and Bradley against Alabama A&M on Sunday at 12 noon.

Friday will be Indiana Youth Soccer Night at McCutchan Stadium.  All youth soccer players wearing a jersey will be admitted free of charge.  Vuvuzela horns will be given away, courtesy of ProRehab, and there will also be a Kids Zone for all children in attendance.  Sunday will be Ronald McDonald House Day.  UE will be collecting donations as well as canned/boxed food and canned soft drink tabs to go directly to the Ronald McDonald House of Evansville.  It will also be Evansville Soccer Club Day, with members tailgating prior to the game.  Vuvuzela horns will be given away, courtesy of ProRehab.

Coach Mike Jacobs' 1-1 Aces remain at number 30 in the College Soccer News national poll, and are receiving votes in the Soccer Times and NSCAA/HendricksCars.com polls, following last weekend's second place finish at the Nike Portland Invitational.  They beat Pac-10 Washington 2-1 on goals from Robby Lynch and Mike Luttrull before losing Sunday to 16th ranked Portland 2-1.  Alabama A&M is 0-2 after losing a pair last weekend at a tournament to UC-Riverside and host UNLV.  East Tennessee State dropped its opener 1-0 to Furman, but came back five days later to win at Clemson, 1-0, to capture arguably the biggest victory in the three-year-old program's history.  Bradley is off to a 2-0-1 start following an East Coast swing in which the Braves won at Saint Peter's and Delaware, and tied Fairfield.

"We had a very encouraging start of our season against two very good opponents out on the West Coast, and we look forward to the potential of building off that momentum this weekend," Jacobs said.  "This is a very big event for our program, the University and community, and we look forward to a great weekend of soccer."

This is the 10th straight year in which ProRehab has been the title sponsor for the Aces Soccer Classic.  The event began in 1986 and has been played each year with the exception of 1989 and 2000.  Evansville's seven titles came in 1988, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2008 and 2009.  Alabama A&M and Bradley are making their second appearances in the ProRehab event.  A&M won it in 2004 with wins over Evansville and Oral Roberts.  Bradley placed third in 2008 with a loss to Valparaiso and a win over North Florida.  This is East Tennessee State’s first trip to Evansville.