July 8, 2013

Tentative 2013 Schedule

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou soccer team announced its tentative 2013 schedule on Monday, which is highlighted by nine home contests and seven games against NCAA Tournament teams from last season.

Non-Conference Schedule
The season begins with eight non-conference matches, two of which feature teams that advanced to at least the second round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

After a preseason game against Southern Methodist on Aug. 17, Missouri officially opens the 2013 season on Friday, Aug. 23 at home against Pacific. The Tigers then travel to Memphis, Tenn., to face Memphis on Sunday, Aug. 25. The game against Pacific marks the first-ever matchup between the two teams, while Mizzou holds a 2-0 series lead against Memphis, including a 5-1 win over the squad in last year's season opener.

Missouri plays a pair of in-state schools the following weekend, with a home contest against SEMO on Friday, Aug. 30 and a road game against UMKC in Kansas City on Sunday, Sept. 1.

The Tigers then stay on the road and head down to College Station, Texas, to play in a tournament at Texas A&M. Mizzou faces Baylor on Friday, Sept. 6 before a contest with San Diego on Sunday, Sept. 8. Baylor, the 2012 Big 12 Conference champion, advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion North Carolina in penalty kicks. The Torros of San Diego hold a 2-0 series lead over the Tigers.

Mizzou hosts its final home non-conference match on Friday, Sept. 13 as the team hosts Eastern Illinois. The Tigers then travel to Portland, Ore., to face Portland on Sunday, Sept. 15 in the non-conference finale. The Pilots went 11-5-5 in 2012 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

SEC schedule
The Tigers, who compete in the Eastern Division, will host six SEC games and travel to five road contests in 2013.

Missouri opens SEC play on Friday, Sept. 20 as the team travels to Starkville, Miss., for a game against Mississippi State. The Tigers own a 2-1 advantage in the series following a 2-0 win over the Bulldogs in 2012.

The home portion of the conference slate kicks off on Friday, Sept. 27 with a game against Georgia. Last year, Missouri defeated Georgia 2-1 to win the first-ever game of the two programs.

Two days later on Sept. 29, Mizzou welcomes Florida to Walton Stadium. The Gators won the 2012 SEC regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Florida has a 4-0-1 lead in the all-time series.

On Friday, Oct. 4 Mizzou travels to Nashville, Tenn., to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Tigers took last year's contest 2-0 and hold a 2-0-1 advantage in the series.

The Tigers return home to Walton Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 6 for a matchup with Texas A&M. The Aggies, last year's SEC West Division champion, made it to the third round of the 2012 NCAA Championship.

Mizzou then travels to Baton Rouge, La., to face the LSU Tigers on Friday, Oct. 11. LSU holds a 1-0 lead in the series after a victory over the Missouri Tigers in 2012.

Missouri hosts a two-game homestand against South Carolina and Auburn the following weekend. The Tigers face the Gamecocks on Friday, Oct. 18 and the visiting Tigers on Sunday, Oct. 20. Last season's 1-0 dramatic win over South Carolina marked the only ever matchup between the teams, while Mizzou has a 3-0 series record against Auburn. The Auburn Tigers also made the 2012 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round.

Two 2012 NCAA Tournament teams fill Mizzou's last weekend series of the season. On Friday, Oct. 25, Missouri travels to Lexington, Ky., for a matchup with Kentucky. Two days later, the Tigers host Tennessee in the home finale on Sunday, Oct. 27. Kentucky, which made it to the second round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, fell to the Tigers twice last season. The Lady Vols also earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament and concluded the season with a 14-5-3 record.

Mizzou concludes the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 31 with a road game at Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. The Tigers hold a 3-1 lead in the series.