July 1, 2008

2008 Men's Soccer Quick Facts

LMU men's soccer fans will have plenty of opportunities to see the Lions in action in 2008 with 12 of the 20 games at Sullivan Field, as the 2008 schedule was announced Tuesday by Head Coach Paul Krumpe. High-level national opponents litter the schedule, as LMU will face nine teams that were in the 2007 NCAA Tournament field.

The season kicks off with four straight home games for the Lions, starting with the LMU Invitational August 29-31. Two of the top teams in the country will visit Sullivan Field, with New Mexico and Saint Louis traveling to California to take on West Coast Conference teams LMU and San Diego. The first game of the tournament on Friday features Saint Louis vs. San Diego, followed by LMU vs. New Mexico. The Lions will be looking to make it two straight wins over the Lobos after upsetting then-17th ranked UNM 1-0 last season in Albuquerque before New Mexico went on to the NCAA Tournament. The teams switch opponents on Sunday, with New Mexico vs. San Diego leading into LMU's rematch against Saint Louis. The Lions traveled to #24 Saint Louis last year, going the distance with the NCAA Tourney-bound Billikins before falling 1-0 to a goal in the 89th minute.

The home stand continues with a pair of matches against Big West Conference opponents. Cal Poly pays a visit to LMU on September 5 and UC Santa Barbara, the 2006 National Champions, come in on September 7.

After hosting the annual Alumni Game on September 13, the Lions take their first road trip, heading to the Chicago Soccer Classic September 19-21. The tournament will not be an easy one, with both opponents, Northwestern and Illinois-Chicago, having made it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season. The Lions play Northwestern on Friday the 19th and conclude the trip on Sunday at UIC.

The road trip will be short lived, with LMU returning home for four of the next five matches. Pac-10 opponent Oregon State closes out September with a visit on the 28th and the Lions host Cal State Bakersfield on October 2 in the season's final non-conference game.

WCC play will again be a tight affair as three teams, Santa Clara, Portland, and Gonzaga, made the NCAA field. LMU opens play at Saint Mary's on October 5 before facing the three postseason representatives in consecutive matches. The Lions host Portland and Gonzaga back-to-back on October 10 and 12, respectively, and then travel to Santa Clara on October 17, closing out the quick trip north with San Francisco on October 19.

The bridge between the first and second rounds of WCC competition sees the Lions play their annual home-and-home series against San Diego. LMU hosts the Toreros on October 23 before returning the favor on October 26. Saint Mary's then visits Sullivan Field on October 31, which leads back into a crucial three-game stretch where LMU will play at Portland (November 7), at Gonzaga (November 9), and at home against Santa Clara (November 14). The regular season draws to a close on November 16 when LMU hosts San Francisco.