Tigers, Panthers and Bears, Oh My!

Friday, September 6

Birmingham, Ala.

4:30 PM

University of Memphis

Milwaukee

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Sep 05, 2019 | Men's Soccer

Men’s Soccer heads to Birmingham for pair of weekend draws

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The Memphis men's soccer team hits the road for the first time this season as the Tigers head to Birmingham, Alabama for a pair of matches this weekend as part of UAB's Soccer for a Cure Classic. The team will start on Friday with a matchup against the Milwaukee Panthers before taking on the Mercer Bears on Sunday. Match times are at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

MATCH INFORMATION:

Friday, September 6
Memphis vs. Milwaukee
Location: Birmingham, Ala. – 4:30 p.m.
Venue: BBVA Field
Twitter Updates: @MemphisMSoccer
Live Stats

Sunday, September 8
Memphis vs. Mercer
Location: Birmingham, Ala. – 2:30 p.m.
Venue: BBVA Field
Twitter Updates: @MemphisMSoccer
Live Stats

The Memphis Tigers

Memphis heads to Birmingham after splitting its two opening weekend matches. The 4-0 win over Campbell saw the Tigers spring out to a great start to the season. Ben Roberts opened up the scoring in the 34^th minute before three second-half goals put the Camels away, including one from freshman Jovan Prado.

Though the Tigers dropped the Sunday match against Wright State, young players showed flashes of talent that will serve the team well. Freshman Peter Chang registered his first collegiate goal as the opening score of the match, while sophomore Gurman Sangha finished a PK in the early minutes of the second half.

For their efforts, four Tigers received weekly awards from the American Athletic Conference. Roberts claimed his second-career Defensive Player of the Week nod. Prado was named Rookie of the Week, while Chang and Sangha were both named to the Weekly Honor Roll.

In Birmingham awaits two opponents with which Memphis has limited experience. The Panthers and Tigers have done battle just twice in history, with each team claiming a victory. Memphis took a 3-2 win in 2003, which was also played in a neutral location. All-time against Mercer, the Tigers are 3-0, with a combined 10-2 goal total between the three matches. The most recent game against the Bears occurred in 2013.

Head coach Richard Mulrooney faces his first matches away from home in his sixth season at the helm. Last season, Mulrooney led Memphis to a combined 6-4-3 away from Memphis, including a 3-2 neutral site record.

A Look at the Competition

Milwaukee started off the 2019 campaign with a pair of wins in its first week of play, defeating Western Illinois on Friday before traveling to Des Moines, Iowa and claiming a win over Drake. Alex Sykes has been the main source of offense for the Panthers in the early going of the year, scoring two goals against Western Illinois and dishing an assist against Drake. The Panthers came into 2019 after finishing last season 9-7-3.

The Bears picked up where they left off after a 12-4-2 finish in 2018, heading to Birmingham with a 2-0 record. Mercer's 2019 resume includes wins over AAC member Cincinnati and Presbyterian. Four different players have scored this season for Mercer, while goalkeeper JR DeRose has registered seven saves through the first two matches.

Follow the Tigers

Live stats will be available for the Tigers' two matches, which are available at GoTigersGo.com. For more information on the Memphis men's soccer team, follow the Tigers on Facebook at /MemphisSoccer and on Twitter and Instagram at @MemphisMSoccer.