Six NCAA Participants Highlight 2009 Women's Soccer Slate

June 10, 2009

2009 Women's Soccer Schedule

CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team, coming off its first trip to the BIG EAST Championship quarterfinals, and its best overall record since 2002, will feature six teams that competed in the 2008 NCAA Championship on the 2009 schedule.

The Bearcats will play National Runner-up Notre Dame in a home BIG EAST match on Sept. 25 and will compete against Rutgers, which advanced to the third round of the NCAA Championship, on Oct. 23 at Gettler Stadium. UC hosts Marquette in a league match on Oct. 16 and will play at Northeastern on Aug. 30. Cincinnati will take on South Carolina on its second day of competition in the Louisville Cardinal Invitational Tournament on Sept. 6.

"Our schedule features some of the nation's top teams," said head coach Michelle Salmon. "Our goal is to make the NCAA Tournament. We can only achieve this goal by challenging ourselves to be better. We look forward to playing some of the perennial powers in our game and we are excited to take our program to the next level."

The Bearcats open the season with a five-game road trip that includes Kentucky (Aug. 21), Ohio (Aug. 23), Northeastern, and St. Louis (Sept. 4) and South Carolina in the Louisville Cardinal Invitational Tournament.

Cincinnati hosts Xavier (Sept. 10), travels to Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 13) and then has a three-game homestand against Louisville (Sept. 18), Akron (Sept. 20) and Notre Dame. UC hits the road for another five-game road trip against BIG EAST competitors DePaul (Sept. 27), Syracuse (Oct. 2), St. John's (Oct. 4), Villanova (Oct. 9), and Georgetown (Oct. 16).

The Bearcats return home for four conference games against Marquette, USF (Oct. 18), Rutgers, and the final regular season game against Seton Hall (Oct. 25).

The first round of the BIG EAST Championship begins on Oct. 29 on campus sites.

"We return a core group of players who understand what the expectations are for Cincinnati Soccer and the championship approach we have in every aspect of our lives," said Salmon. "We had a successful spring with a lot of players stepping up in key positions. We look forward to the 2009 season as a chance to build upon our past successes and continue our rise in the BIG EAST."

Cincinnati will open the 2009 season at Illinois, which advanced to the third round of the 2008 NCAA Championship, in exhibition on Aug. 14.