Soccer schedule announced for 2009 season

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Nine home dates and the Razorback Adidas Classic highlight the 2009 schedule for the University of Arkansas soccer team, as announced by head coach Erin Aubry. The 19-match slate also features contests against six 2008 NCAA Tournament teams. Of the nine matches to be played at Razorback Field, six will come against Southeastern Conference opponents.

After an exhibition match against Oklahoma in Norman, the Razorbacks will open its regular season Aug. 21 with a road contest against Michigan, the first meeting between the two programs.

Arkansas makes its home debut the following weekend by hosting the Razorback Adidas Classic, which will include teams from Air Force, Austin Peay and Missouri State. The home team opens the event with an Aug. 28 matchup with Air Force and closes the weekend Aug. 30 against Missouri State. Arkansas and Air Force have never faced one another, while the Razorbacks defeated Missouri State, 1-0, in the 2008 season opener.

Regional matchups are next for Arkansas with a trip to the state of Oklahoma for a pair of contests against Tulsa (Sept. 3) and Oral Roberts (Sept. 6). For the first time since the 1996 season, the Razorbacks will square off with Stephen F. Austin, a Sept. 13 meeting in Fayetteville. Arkansas closes out the non-conference schedule with a pair of road contests against Florida Atlantic and Florida International on Sept. 18 and 20, respectively.

Conference play opens Sept. 25 with a home match against Tennessee, the 2008 SEC Tournament champions. The last time Arkansas hosted the Lady Vols, the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie in 2007 when Tennessee was the No. 6 team in the country. The league-opening weekend closes with an afternoon meeting with Georgia (Sept. 27) at Razorback Field.

Arkansas hits the road for four consecutive SEC matches beginning with an Oct. 2 meeting at Auburn. The weekend concludes with a match at Alabama. The Razorbacks then travel to Nashville, Tenn., to take on Vanderbilt (Oct. 9) and Lexington, Ky., to play Kentucky (Oct. 11). Arkansas beat both teams last season in Fayetteville.

The Razorbacks will close out the regular season with four of five matches at home. That stretch begins with weekend matches, Oct. 16 and 18, against Mississippi State and Ole Miss, respectively. Arkansas’ road finale is set for Oct. 22 in Columbia, S.C., against South Carolina.

Florida, the 2008 SEC regular season champion, comes to Fayetteville for an Oct. 25 match with the Razorbacks. The Gators advanced to the round of 16 at last year’s NCAA Tournament. Arkansas closes out its regular season Oct. 30 against LSU.

The top eight teams in the conference will advance to the 2009 SEC Tournament, played Nov. 4-8 at the Orange Beach Soccer Complex in Orange Beach, Ala. Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for continued coverage and more information.

Download: 2009 Soccer Schedule.pdf