Florida Soccer Announces 2008 Schedule
6/16/08
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A challenging schedule stands before a young
University of Florida soccer team in 2008. Ten teams in Florida's
upcoming schedule advanced to the 2007 NCAA Championship, which is more
than half of the Gators' 19 regular-season competition dates.
“We look to schedule the top teams each year because it helps prepare us
for the post-season,” UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh said. “The SEC gains
strength each year, which was shown last season with six SEC teams
advancing to NCAA play. Each and every SEC match is a battle, so we will
need to be ready.”
By the end of September, Florida will have faced seven 2007 NCAA
Championship teams, including 2007 NCAA College Cup runner-up Florida
State on Sept. 7 in Tallahassee. This is the 11th time in the program's
14-year history that Florida will face at least one team from the
previous season’s NCAA College Cup field.
The season begins with two opponents that reached the second round of
2007 NCAA play. Florida opens at Colorado on Friday, Aug. 22 for its
first meeting with the Buffalos since 1997. The home season begins
Friday, Aug. 29 when UCF returns to Gainesville. The 2007 home finale
saw Florida and UCF play to a scoreless tie in NCAA Second Round action,
with the Gators advancing with a 4-3 penalty kick advantage. The Gators
play host to Illinois on Friday, Sept. 12. The Illini advanced to the
NCAA Second Round in 2007, losing to NCAA semifinalist Notre Dame. The
final non-conference opponent that was a 2007 NCAA Championship
participant is traditional power Portland. The Pilots reached the Elite
Eight in 2007 NCAA play. Florida will travel west to meet Portland on
Friday, Sept. 19 for a match at the Pilots' Merlo Field.
Florida's non-conference schedule also includes home dates with Big 12
teams Nebraska (Aug. 31) and Kansas (Sept. 21) and a road match at
Florida Atlantic on Sunday, Sept. 14.
Defense of Florida’s 2007 Southeastern Conference team title begins the
final weekend of September. Florida’s opening weekend of league play
brings a pair of 2007 NCAA Championship teams to Pressly Stadium.
The Gators open the SEC season on Friday, Sept. 26 with Georgia and then
meets Tennessee on Sunday, Sept. 28. Florida opened 2007 SEC play with a
pair of losses to these teams before running off nine straight wins to
claim their second consecutive and eighth overall SEC title. In 2007
NCAA action, Georgia advanced to the second round and the Lady Vols
reached the NCAA Round of 16.
Three of Florida's final five conference matches are on the road against
2007 NCAA participants – Auburn on Oct. 17, LSU on Oct. 26 and South
Carolina on Oct. 31.
Other SEC dates include at Vanderbilt (Friday, Oct. 3), at Kentucky
(Sunday, Oct. 5), Mississippi (Friday, Oct. 10), Mississippi State
(Sunday, Oct. 12), at Alabama (Oct. 19) and Arkansas (Oct. 23).
The 2008 SEC Tournament, set for Nov. 5-9, will be played in Orange
Beach, Ala., for the third consecutive year. The NCAA Championship field
will be announced on Nov. 10.
The 2007 Florida soccer team claimed both the SEC and SEC Tournament
titles, advanced to the NCAA Round of 16, ranked No. 17 in the final
National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll and finished the
season with a 17-5-3 record.
2008 University of Florida Soccer Schedule
Date Opponent Site
Fri., Aug. 22 Colorado Boulder, Colo.
Fri., Aug. 29 UCF Gainesville, Fla.
Sun., Aug. 31 Nebraska Gainesville, Fla.
Sun., Sept. 7 Florida State Tallahassee, Fla.
Fri., Sept. 12 Illinois Gainesville, Fla.
Sun. Sept. 14 Florida Atlantic Boca Raton, Fla.
Fri., Sept. 19 Portland Portland, Ore.
Sun., Sept. 21 Kansas Gainesville, Fla.
Fri., Sept. 26 Georgia Gainesville, Fla.
Sun., Sept. 28 Tennessee Gainesville, Fla.
Fri., Oct. 3 Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn.
Sun., Oct. 5 Kentucky Lexington, Ky.
Fri., Oct. 10 Mississippi Gainesville, Fla.
Sun., Oct. 12 Mississippi State Gainesville, Fla.
Fri., Oct. 17 Auburn Auburn, Ala.
Sun. , Oct. 19 Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Thu., Oct. 23 Arkansas Gainesville, Fla.
Sun., Oct. 26 LSU Baton Rouge, La.
Fri., Oct. 31 South Carolina Columbia, S.C.
Nov. 5-9 Southeastern Conference Tournament Orange Beach,
Ala.
Home matches played at James G. Pressly Stadium
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