Mizzou soccer schedule released

The team’s docket includes four national Top 25 teams.

In 2006, the Missouri soccer team will face eight teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2005, according to its new schedule released Tuesday.

Four of these NCAA Tournament qualifiers, Texas A&M, Colorado, Illinois and Nebraska, finished in the NSCAA/adidas National Top 25 in the 2005 season.

“We’re excited about this schedule,” said Tigers head coach Bryan Blitz. “The schedule is filled with quality teams, including eight who participated in last year’s NCAA Tournament. We have five games against Big Ten Conference teams, which should test us early in the season. Then we move on to our conference schedule, which is always tough.”

The Tigers start their season on August 25 at home against Iowa (3-12-4), the first of four consecutive competitions versus Big Ten teams. In their last matchup in September 2005, the Tigers beat Iowa 5-0.

Next, the Tigers face Illinois (12-7-3) on August 27 at home, Northwestern (9-9-1) at Chicago on September 1 and Minnesota (2-19-0) at Minneapolis on September 3.

After the Big Ten stint, the Tigers will return home to play Northwestern State (11-6-1) and Loyola-Chicago (8-11-2) on September 8 and September 10, respectively.

The Tigers then head north to Madison, Wis. to play non-conference Wisconsin (13-9-2) on September 15 and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (12-5-5) on September 17.

Starting September 22, Big 12 conference play begins for the Tigers. With the exception of a game against Illinois State (9-7-3) at home, the Tigers host five games against Big 12 teams and travel to Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa to complete their season.