June 25, 2007
Complete 2007 Men's Soccer Schedule in PDF Format
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ORLANDO, Fla. (www.UCFAthletics.com) - UCF head men's soccer coach Bryan Cunningham announced the Knights' 2007 schedule, which features four 2006 NCAA Tournament participants, on Monday afternoon. The UCF slate also includes five opponents ranked among the top 50 nationally in the final 2006 NCAA RPI.
"We are once again playing a competitive national schedule with a combination of tough road and home matches," said Cunningham, who was named the fifth head coach in the Knights' 32-year history in February. "It is important that the players are not only challenged early but throughout the season, especially as we prepare for the games against Conference USA opponents."
After playing a pair of preseason matches at home, the Knights kickoff the season at in-state rival USF in Tampa, Fla., on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. They then travel to Albuquerque, N.M., for the New Mexico Invitational, where they take on 2006 NCAA Tournament participant Cincinnati and Loyola Marymount.
In the home opener on Sept. 12, UCF faces rival Stetson in a 7 p.m. game before heading to Memphis for a Conference USA contest on Sept. 15 and visiting Boston University on Sept. 17. The Knights also play host to the College of Charleston and Wofford in the UCF Invitational and conclude the month at Saint Louis, squaring off against a Billikens' squad that was ranked No. 19 in the final RPI and also competed in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
UCF returns home on Oct. 3 for a 7 p.m. match against Charlotte. The bulk of the C-USA slate starts at SMU on Oct. 6 and continues at Florida International on Oct. 10. The Knights also take on UAB on the road Oct. 27, while Kentucky and Tulsa come to Orlando on Oct. 17 and Oct. 21. They close out the month at North Florida on Halloween. Both SMU and UAB earned berths to the 2006 NCAA Tournament, while Kentucky was a top-30 team in the final RPI rankings.
UCF finishes the 2007 campaign at home with South Carolina on Nov. 4 and Marshall on Nov. 9.
The top eight C-USA teams during the regular season advance to the conference championship, which takes place in Birmingham, Ala., from Nov. 14-18. The winner of the C-USA Championship receives the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports.