TCU releases 2007 soccer schedule
3/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
March 29, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU soccer program released its 2007 schedule on Thursday. The 18-match regular-season schedule consists of nine home matches at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.
The challenging schedule is dotted with six matches against teams that made the NCAA Tournament in 2006, including three from the Mountain West Conference alone.
"I am excited about the schedule because it is going to be very challenging for the youth that we will have," third-year head coach Dan Abdalla said. "It will put our young players in a position to gain experience against quality opponents immediately. It is also nice to have seven games against teams from the state of Texas. Anytime two teams from Texas matchup, it is a special game. The whole schedule should just be a real nice mix of really good teams."
Five of TCU's home games will be played under the lights, which were installed prior to the 2006 season. Last season, TCU ranked 11th in the country with an average attendance of 1,254.
TCU's non-conference slate is highlighted by home matches against former Southwest Conference foe Texas Tech, Arizona State of the Pac-10 and Colorado College, which qualified for the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
On the road, TCU will renew its former Southwest Conference rivalry with Texas to open the season. TCU will also play away matches at Missouri and former C-USA foes Rice, Houston and cross-town rival SMU.
The Horned Frogs' conference schedule consists of three home matches and four road matches. TCU will host Air Force, defending conference regular season champion Utah and defending MWC tournament champion UNLV.
TCU's MWC road schedule includes games at BYU, New Mexico, Wyoming and San Diego State.
"The conference should be strong next year again," Abdalla said. "Any of the teams in the league have the ability to win it this year. As tight as the league was last year, it may be even tighter this year."
The Horned Frogs will open their regular season on the road at tournament-qualifier Texas on Friday, Aug. 31. The meeting will be the first between the two schools since 2000. Following its game at Texas, TCU will open its home schedule against Utah State on Sunday, Sept. 2 at 1 p.m.
Following the home opener, TCU will continue its annual series at Rice on Sept. 7. The Frogs will return from Rice to play three straight home matches against UTSA (Sept. 11), Texas Tech (Sept. 14) and Arizona State (Sept. 16).
TCU will open a difficult road swing on Sept. 21 against 2006 NCAA Tournament qualifier SMU. The Horned Frogs will quickly turn around and travel to Columbia, Mo., to face Missouri on Sept. 23.
The Frogs will close September with a home game against tournament-qualifier Colorado College on Sept. 28 before playing their final non-conference road game at Houston on Sept. 30.
TCU will put the wraps on its non-conference slate on Oct. 3 with a home game against Prairie View A&M.
Entering its third season in the Mountain West Conference, TCU will open league play at home against Air Force on Oct. 6. The game against the Falcons will be followed with TCU's most difficult road stretch of the season.
Beginning on Oct. 11, TCU will travel at NCAA qualifier BYU before making the trip to Albuquerque to face New Mexico on Oct. 14. Following TCU's game at New Mexico, the Frogs will travel to Laramie, Wyo., to face Wyoming on Oct. 19.
After the three-game road swing, TCU has just a two-day turnaround between its game against the Cowgirls and an Oct. 21 home date against defending conference tournament champion UNLV.
The UNLV match will be followed by a home date against defending conference champion Utah on Oct. 26.
TCU will end the regular season on Nov. 2 in San Diego against San Diego State.
Only six spots are available in The Mountain West Conference Tournament, which will be held Nov. 7-10.
