Feb. 21, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's soccer team announced their spring schedule today. The 2007 Conference USA champions and NCAA Tournament finalists will play an array of opponents through the months of February to April, including a Big 12 opponent, three SEC opponents and three professional Argentinean teams.

The Lady Tigers will face Oklahoma State and St. Louis University on February 23 and Arkansas Little Rock and Martin Methodist on March 16, as those will be the only spring home games. Martin Methodist has won the NAIA Championship two out of the last three years, and are the 2007 NAIA champs. Memphis beat Arkansas Little Rock 7-1, in the regular season.

Memphis will then travel to Argentina during the week of March 1-8 to face Estudiantes de la Plata, Boca Juniors and San Lorenzo de Almagro. These are three of Argentina's best professional teams. Boca Juniors has won the league title for the past six years.

After a week off they will travel to Decatur, Ala. to face Auburn and South Alabama. Memphis and Auburn met in the preseason where the Lady Tigers lost, 2-1.

Mississippi State and Troy St. will be on the Lady Tigers list the week of April 5, when they travel to Starkville, Miss. The Bulldogs met up with the Lady Tigers this past season at Mike Rose Complex where the Lady Tigers were victorious, 5-0.

In the final week of spring play April 12, Memphis will face Ole Miss and Vanderbilt in Oxford, Miss. Memphis played Ole Miss in the regular season, winning the match-up, 1-0.

"I think the schedule that we have in front of us for the spring is great. I think the level of the games that we are playing this spring will help prepare us for the fall," said Head Coach Brooks Monaghan. "We're really excited to be able to see a lot of the players that we weren't able to see in the fall, some of the young kids that didn't get to play a lot. Our approach with the spring is that we play every body equal minutes, to give them a chance to showcase their skills. With the schedule that we have, they will have the opportunity to showcase their skills against some quality opponents. Obviously, the trip to Argentina is a bonus for us this year. We're able to also play their three extra quality teams. As a whole we are ready for the spring.

"This weekend our two opponents are Oklahoma State and St. Louis. Oklahoma State was a consistent top 20 team all season long. St. Louis is a program that was on the brink of that," added Monaghan. "We're going to have good competition and it will be a good opportunity for our kids.