The 2009 University of Tulsa men's soccer schedule features four 2008 NCAA Tournament teams, four teams that concluded last season ranked among the nation's top-25 and eight home games

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Tulsa Men's Soccer Slate Features Four NCAA Tournament Teams

Golden Hurricane to host eight games at Hurricane Stadium

May 27, 2009

Tulsa, Oklahoma - The 2009 University of Tulsa men's soccer schedule features four 2008 NCAA Tournament teams, four teams that concluded last season ranked among the nation's top-25 and eight home games. The 17 teams on this season's schedule combined for 153 wins last year, averaging 9.0 wins per team.

TU will take on NCAA Tournament teams Akron, Denver, Northwestern and Saint Louis. The Zips, Northwestern Wildcats, Kentucky Wildcats and Billikens concluded last year ranked fourth, seventh, 21st and 22nd, respectively, in various soccer polls.

"I am very excited about the schedule," Head Coach Tom McIntosh said. "We start off at home against a tough Missouri State team, then take on Seattle which will be a challenge and then Akron, which is one of the top five programs in the country. The non-conference is obviously going to be a stiff test as all but two teams had winning records last year, but that is what we want. That is how you get better, by playing the best."

The Golden Hurricane begins the season at home at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium on Sept. 1st, taking on Missouri State. Tulsa owns a 23-11-2 advantage in the all-time series, including a 1-0 win last year in Springfield, Mo.

TU will then host the Hurricane Classic, featuring Akron, Seattle, SMU and Tulsa, on Sept. 4th and 6th. The Golden Hurricane will take to the field against Seattle for the first time in school history on Sept. 4th, and then Akron on Sept. 6th. The Redhawks concluded their first season in NCAA Division I with an 11-3-1 record in 2008, their eighth-straight winning season. The Zips concluded the season ranked fourth, after advancing to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament, winning the Mid-American Conference Championship and totaling a 17-2-4 record. TU and Akron have squared off just one other time in school history, with the Zips taking a 3-0 win back in 1993.

Tulsa will begin a five-game road swing with a pair of games in the NIU Invitational on Sept. 11th and 13th, where TU will face host Northern Illinois and Northwestern. The Huskies captured 11 wins last season and advanced to the MAC Championship game, while the Wildcats claimed 15 victories and made it to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. The Golden Hurricane topped NIU last season, 2-1 in overtime, but will meet Northwestern for the first time in 2009.

The annual trip to Dallas is up next on the TU schedule, taking on Cal State Northridge and Bradley in the SMU Classic on Sept. 18th and 20th, respectively. The Matadors recorded a 1-0 victory over Tulsa in 2001, while the Golden Hurricane owns a 7-3-2 advantage in the series with the Braves.

Tulsa will close out the road swing against Saint Louis on Sept. 26th. The Billikens, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round and recorded a 12-5-5 mark on the year, own a 6-1-0 advantage in the overall series. It was the Golden Hurricane, however, that captured the last win, a 4-1 decision in Dallas in 2005.

TU returns home on Sept. 30th and opens Conference USA action against Florida International. The Golden Hurricane owns a 5-0-1 lead in the series, including a 2-0 win last year. Then Denver comes to town on Oct. 3rd to close out non-conference play. The Pioneers and Hurricane will be playing for series bragging rights, as each team has won one meeting.

"This league is very balanced," McIntosh said. "I truly believe that this league is capable of putting three or four teams in the NCAA Tournament. SMU, South Carolina and Kentucky are all very strong teams that return nearly all of their squads from last year. It will be a challenge, but the non-conference schedule should help us prepare for league play."

Tulsa will travel to Kentucky and South Carolina for a pair of league games on Oct. 7th and Oct. 11th, respectively. The Wildcats will be looking to avenge the 2008 Conference USA Championship game that ended with the Golden Hurricane taking home the title with a 4-2 advantage in penalty kicks. The TU-UK game will also give one team the advantage in the series, as the series is tied 3-3-1. Tulsa has a 4-2-1 lead in the overall series with South Carolina after defeating and tying the Gamecocks last year.

UAB and SMU come to town on Oct. 17th and 21st. In 2008, TU took on the Blazers twice and the Mustangs once, out-scoring them 10-4. The Golden Hurricane owns a 6-1-1 advantage in the series against UAB, but trails SMU 23-6-3.

Tulsa makes the trip to Huntington, W.Va. on Oct. 25th to challenge Marshall, before returning home to take on Memphis on Nov. 1st. TU owns a 4-1 advantage in the series with the Thundering Herd, including a 3-0 win last season, but the Tigers have a 3-1-1 lead against TU in that series.

The Golden Hurricane will conclude the regular season at UCF on Nov. 6th. TU has won all five meetings against the Knights and will look to keep that streak alive.

The Conference USA Championship will take place on Nov. 13th and 15th, but a site will be determined at a later date.

2009 Tulsa Men's Soccer Schedule
Date	Day 	Opponent	Site	Time
AUGUST
18	Tues.	Midwestern State (Exh.)	Tulsa, Okla.	6:00 p.m.
21	Fri.	New Mexico (Exh.)	Tulsa, Okla.	7:05 p.m.
27	Thurs.	Oral Roberts (Exh.)	Tulsa, Okla.	7:05 p.m.
SEPTEMBER
1	Tues.	Missouri State	Tulsa, Okla.	7:05 p.m.
4	Fri.	SMU vs. Akron^	Tulsa, Okla.	5:00 p.m.
4	Fri.	Seattle^	Tulsa, Okla.	7:35 p.m.
6	Sun.	SMU vs. Seattle^	Tulsa, Okla.	1:00 p.m.
6	Sun.	Akron^	Tulsa, Okla.	7:35 p.m.
11	Fri.	at Northern Illinois#	Dekalb, Ill.	5:00 p.m.
13	Sun.	vs. Northwestern#	Dekalb, Ill.	12 noon
18	Fri.	vs. CS-Northridge$	Dallas, Texas	5:00 p.m.
20	Sun.	vs. Bradley$	Dallas, Texas	12 noon
26	Sat.	at St. Louis	St. Louis, Mo.	7:30 p.m.
30	Wed.	FIU*	Tulsa, Okla.	7:05 p.m.
OCTOBER
3	Sat.	Denver	Tulsa, Okla.	7:05 p.m.
7	Wed.	at Kentucky*	Lexington, Ky.	7:00 p.m.
11	Sun.	at South Carolina*	Columbia, S.C. 	TBA
17	Sat.	UAB*	Tulsa, Okla.	7:05 p.m.
21	Wed.	SMU*	Tulsa, Okla.	7:05 p.m.
25	Sun.	at Marshall*	Huntington, W.Va.	7:00 p.m.
NOVEMBER
1	Sun.	Memphis*	Tulsa, Okla.	2:05 p.m.
6	Fri.		at UCF*	Orlando, Fla.	7:00 p.m.
13	Fri.	C-USA Semifinal	TBA	TBA
15	Sun.	C-USA Championship	TBA	TBA
20	Fri.	NCAA Tournament Begins	TBA	TBA
^ Hurricane Classic
# NIU Invitational
$ SMU Classic
* Conference USA game
All times are Central.