April 9, 2007

MEMPHIS - Three NCAA Tournament teams and five Conference USA home matches highlight the 2007 Memphis women's soccer schedule which was announced Monday by Lady Tiger head coach Brooks Monaghan.

"We're pleased with our schedule for the upcoming season," Monaghan said. "We have some quality competition in our non-conference opponents, and it should prepare us for the conference portion of the schedule."

Memphis will face 2006 NCAA Tournament team Auburn in its first exhibition test on Aug. 19 and will then take on Western Kentucky at home the following week in its second preseason match.

The Lady Tigers 2007 season opener will be at home against Arkansas-Little Rock on Aug. 31. Memphis will then enter a tough road stretch which will feature games at Arkansas and Alabama as well as matches against LSU and Samford at the Samford Bulldog Classic.

Memphis will next have five straight home matches beginning with UT-Martin on Sept. 18. The Lady Tigers will also face off with SEC opponents Ole Miss and Mississippi State and have one final non-conference match with Missouri State before beginning conference play.

One advantage for the Lady Tigers in their upcoming season will be playing five-of-nine C-USA matches at home. Memphis rotates UTEP and Colorado College out of the schedule in 2007 and adds conference matches against Tulsa and traditional powerhouse SMU.

Monaghan's squad will open at home against 2006 C-USA Tournament Champion UAB on Oct. 5 before heading to Houston for matches with the University of Houston and Rice.

Memphis returns to Mike Rose for a four-match home stand against Tulsa, SMU, Southern Miss and UCF and closes on the road with a two-match swing against Marshall and East Carolina.

The C-USA Tournament will be hosted by UTEP in El Paso, Texas on Nov. 7-11.

"This is probably the strongest schedule we've had since I've been here," Monaghan said. "We have a great home schedule with teams like Ole Miss and SMU coming to Memphis. It will be really challenging for us and should provide some great soccer for our fans."