@MizzouSoccer Hits the Road for Two Exhibition Contests
8/10/2016 3:34:00 PM | Soccer
Tigers visit Duke on Thursday and North Carolina on Saturday
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Soccer will begin its 2016 season with two exhibition contests on the road, first traveling to Durham, N.C., on Thursday to face 2015 NCAA runner-up Duke, followed by a trip to Chapel Hill, N.C., on Saturday for a matchup with North Carolina. The Tigers will kick off at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday and 10 a.m. CT on Saturday.
Mizzou returns eight starters and 15 letterwinners from its 2015 squad which went 9-5-5 while finishing the regular season a program-high second in the SEC standings with a 7-2-2 record. The Tigers allowed 17 goals last season, the fewest in program history. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Kristen Rivers (Lawrenceville, Ga.), who started 12 games in goal a season ago, and sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Dossey (Plainfield, Ind.), who started eight games in goal last year, both return for the upcoming season. Senior midfielder Melanie Donaldson (Florissant, Mo.), who earned second-team All-SEC honors last season, also returns for the Tigers.
With Mizzou vastly outplaying expectations a season ago, head coach Bryan Blitz was named the 2015 SEC Coach of the Year, the fourth time in his career he claimed conference coach of the year honors.
Entering this season, Duke is ranked No. 3 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) rankings while North Carolina checks in at No. 9.
Following the exhibition contests, Mizzou will return home to Audrey J. Walton Stadium to officially open its regular season against Central Arkansas on Friday, Aug. 19, at 6:30 p.m. CT.
For all the latest on Mizzou Soccer, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouSoccer).
