Milwaukee Women's Soccer Announces 2006 Schedule
2006 Women's Soccer Schedule in PDF Format MILWAUKEE, Wis. (May 1, 2006) - A game with defending national champion Portland and a total of four contests against NCAA Tournament teams highlight the 2006 schedule released today by head coach Michael Moynihan. The Panthers and Pilots will square off in Seattle, Wash., in the first game of the Husky Invitational, hosted by the University of Washington. Portland finished last season 23-0-2, defeating UCLA in the championship game, 4-0, for its second National Championship in four seasons. UWM is facing the defending national champion for the third time in school history. "I think Portland is definitely the highlight of what we consider to be another difficult non-league schedule," Moynihan said. "To get a game with the defending national champions says something about where other schools see UWM in regards to national exposure. Playing against tough out-of-region opponents on a yearly basis certainly puts us in a position to play the best teams out there." Marquette, which the Panthers faced in the second round of last season's NCAA Tournament, hosts UWM Sept. 12 at Valley Field. The Golden Eagles finished last season 14th in the nation after going 19-4-1 on the year, 9-2 in their first season in the Big East and advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16. The other of Milwaukee's local rivalry games comes in the regular season finale against Wisconsin, Sunday, Oct. 22, at Engelmann Field. The Badgers also made the NCAA Tournament a year ago, falling to Marquette in Milwaukee. UWM faces four more major conference opponents, including a pair when the team makes a trip to Madison for Wisconsin's Big Toe Soccer Invitational, Sept. 15-16. The Panthers will play Kentucky from the SEC Friday before taking on Big XII team Missouri on Saturday. "As usual, we have gone to the larger conferences to find teams that will make us better and prepare us for the league season," Moynihan said. "The hope is that we will be better prepared for the league season and tournament. It will also help us in our goal of making the NCAA Tournament as league champs or an at-large team, and being prepared when we get there. Among the highlights of our home schedule are some tough conference games and our annual matchup with UW-Madison. It's always nice when our rivalry with Wisconsin comes back to Engelmann Field, where our fans can come out and support us." Milwaukee's 2006 season gets underway with the Seventh Annual Milwaukee Cup, Aug. 25-27, an event it co-hosts with Marquette. The Panthers open things with Sacred Heart Friday, Aug. 25, at Valley Field at 6 p.m. On Sunday, when the action switches to Engelmann Field, Milwaukee will play Bowling Green in the tourney's final game at 2:15 p.m. The Falcons won both the MAC Regular Season and Tournament titles last season and played in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers then head to Seattle, Wash., for its showdown with Portland and a match with the host Huskies on Sept. 3. UW is just one season removed from a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight. Upon returning to the Midwest, UWM heads to Bloomington, Ind., for the Hoosier Classic Sept. 8-10. Milwaukee takes on Rhode Island on the tourney's first day before playing host Indiana on day two. After the Big Toe Invitational, UWM returns home to host South Dakota State Sept. 24 in its last tune-up before the start of league play. SDSU, in its third season making the transition to NCAA Division I, visits Engelmann Field Sunday, Sept. 24. UWM last played the Jacks to start the 2004 season (W, 2-0) in the university's first-ever athletic event as a Division I school. League play gets underway Oct. 1 at Wright State in the first of seven-straight league matches. Milwaukee tied the Raiders, 1-1, last year in the only blemish on the Panthers' 6-0-1 league mark. The highlight of the league schedule is a rematch with Detroit, Oct. 20, at Engelmann Field. UWM and the Titans have met in the last two league championship games, with both teams winning once. The Horizon League Regular Season Championship has also been decided in this game the last two seasons, both 2-1 wins by the Panthers. The Horizon League Tournament will have a new look when it kicks off Saturday, Oct. 28, with quarterfinals on campus sites. The league has adopted the men's soccer format, where the top four seeds host quarterfinals and the highest remaining seed hosts the semifinals and championship game. Milwaukee won last year's tourney, defeating UDM, 4-3, in penalty kicks after playing to a 0-0 tie.
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