Men’s Soccer to Open Season at Home Against SIUE

Friday, August 24

Memphis, Tenn.

7:00 PM

University of Memphis

SIUE

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Aug 23, 2018 | Men's Soccer

Tigers travel to Saint Louis for match on Sunday

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – With two weeks of practice and a pair of exhibitions in the rearview mirror, Memphis men's soccer opens its 2018 campaign against SIUE Friday evening before hitting the road to face the Billikens of Saint Louis on Sunday. Friday's match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kick at Mike Rose Soccer Complex, followed by a 5 p.m. start on Sunday in Saint Louis.

Match Information

Matchup: Memphis (0-0) vs. SIUE (0-0)
Location: Memphis, Tenn. – 7 p.m. CT
Venue: Mike Rose Soccer Complex
Promotion: Posters, schedule cards/magnets and thunderstick giveaway
Live Stats | Watch

Matchup: Memphis (0-0) vs. SLU (0-0)
Location: St. Louis, Mo. – 5 p.m. CT
Venue: Hermann Stadium
Watch$*

A Season of Firsts

A new season opens up with a host of new experiences for Memphis. A total of 13 players have joined the team and will see their first action as Tigers in 2018. After the loss of a sizeable senior class, the new faces stand to earn playing time immediately.

Returning from last year are first-time Preseason All-Conference selections Ben Roberts and David Zalzman. Roberts and Zalzman enter the season fresh off of All-Conference nods last year, and look to continue their play that earned postseason accolades last year.

Additionally, after the loss of goalkeeper Jake Leeker, who graduated and signed a professional soccer contract, one of the three keepers on roster will have a chance to start for the first time as a Tiger. Returning to the squad is backup keeper Mitchel Foster, and the offseason brought in freshman Parker Lackland and junior transfer Tyler Hofmann.

Head coach Richard Mulrooney enters his fifth season looking to rebound after a 4-8-4 season a year ago.

A Look at SIUE
Head coach Mario Sanchez will start his fourth season at the helm. The Cougars finished 2017 7-10-1 in their first year after joining the Mid-American Conference. All-time, SIUE and Memphis have split the 13 matchups, each team going 6-6-1 against the other.

The Cougars, similar to the Tigers, brought in a plethora of new talent. SIUE added 14 players to its roster, including seven true freshmen. Returning to the team are the top three scorers from 2017, let by Jorge Gonzalez, who recorded 12 points.

The Road to St. Louis
Following the home opener, the Tigers will travel to St. Louis, Mo., to face the Billikens of Saint Louis University. The Billikens will be on the road to face Notre Dame on Friday before hosting the Tigers on Sunday. Saint Louis returned 19 players from last season's team, including A-10 First-Team All-Conference pick Lennart Hein.

Saint Louis is led by first-year head coach Kevin Kalish, who previously served six years as head coach at SIUE. The Billikens finished 2017 with a 7-9-1 overall record, with a 4-4 record in conference play.

Follow the Tigers
For more information on the Memphis men's soccer team, follow the Tigers on Facebook at /MemphisSoccer and on Twitter and Instagram at @MemphisMSoccer. Friday's match has a free web stream available at https://gotigersgo.com/watch/.

*The match vs. SLU will be featured on ESPN+. ESPN+ is a subscription based service (separate from your cable/satellite) for only $4.99 a month.