@MizzouSoccer Announces 2016 Season Schedule
6/14/2016 10:31:00 AM | Soccer
Tigers face five NCAA Tournament teams; open with a five-game homestand
SCHEDULE
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Soccer Head Coach Bryan Blitz announced the team's 2016 schedule on Tuesday, highlighted by three televised games on the SEC Network, 11 home contests and five matchups with teams who qualified for the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
"This is a very challenging schedule, but we're very excited to test ourselves this way," said Blitz, who typically plays one of the toughest schedules in the nation each year. "There's no better way to prepare your team to compete in the SEC and for the post-season, and we've always believed in playing the best. It's an exciting schedule for our team, and also for our fans, and we're planning on it paying dividends in the end," he said.
The Tigers will appear on the SEC Network three times in 2016, beginning with a conference match at Tennessee on Thursday, Sept. 15. Mizzou's final two games of the regular season will also air live on the SEC Network. The Tigers face Georgia on Sunday, Oct. 23, followed by their regular season finale on Thursday, Oct. 27, against Florida.
After road exhibition contests against 2015 NCAA runner-up Duke on Thursday, Aug. 11, and NCAA Tournament qualifier North Carolina on Saturday, Aug. 13, Mizzou will officially begin the season on Friday, Aug. 19, at Audrey J. Walton Stadium against Central Arkansas. The contest will be the first of a five-game homestand to open the season, which continues with matches against Iowa, Illinois, Colorado and San Francisco. Mizzou and Colorado will meet for the first time since Oct. 8, 2010, when the Tigers claimed a 1-0 victory against the Buffaloes.
Mizzou hits the road for its first road game on Sunday, Sept. 4, when it faces Notre Dame, who advanced to the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers will open SEC play with a road contest at Ole Miss on Friday, Sept. 9. Mizzou defeated Ole Miss, 2-1, last season before the Rebels advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
After a road matchup at Tennessee on Sept. 15, the Tigers return to Walton Stadium for the first of three games, beginning with their non-conference finale against Weber State on Sunday, Sept. 18. Mizzou then hosts Kentucky and Mississippi State on Thursday, Sept. 22 and Sunday, Sept. 25, respectively.
The Tigers hit the road for consecutive SEC contests against 2015 NCAA Tournament teams Auburn on Friday, Sept. 30 and Texas A&M on Thursday, Oct. 6. Three days later, Mizzou returns home for matches against Alabama on Sunday, Oct. 9 and Vanderbilt on Friday, Oct. 14.
In its final regular season road trip, Mizzou heads to Arkansas on Thursday, Oct. 20, and Georgia on Sunday, Oct. 23. The Tigers finish their regular season with a home SEC contest against Florida. The 2016 SEC Tournament will once again be in Orange Beach, Ala., and will take place from Oct. 31-Nov. 6.
All Mizzou home games are played at the Audrey J. Walton Soccer Complex. Tickets can be purchased from the Missouri Athletic Ticket Office by calling 884-PAWS locally or 1-800-CAT-PAWS. For all the latest on Mizzou Soccer, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouSoccer).
NEWS: 2016 Schedule Released! ???
— Mizzou Soccer (@MizzouSoccer) June 14, 2016
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