Post by uwmrissa on May 19, 2005 15:43:39 GMT -6
MILWAUKEE - A road contest with the University of Michigan and a home match with Wisconsin highlight the 2005 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer schedule, released today by head coach Louis Bennett.
The Panthers, who have won the last four Horizon League titles and advanced to the last four NCAA Tournaments, will also travel to Spokane, Wash., for a tournament and see strong regional foes Oakland and Bradley during a challenging 2005 slate.
"The main thing we try to do every year is craft a schedule that would suit our quest for a better RPI," Bennett said. "We also want to put together a testing schedule that will prepare us for our league season and post-season play. Our conference is also greatly improving."
Milwaukee faces Michigan, which like UWM advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, Oct. 20 in Ann Arbor, Mich. It is the first regular season match between the two schools, who met in a pre-season match last year. UWM and Wisconsin cross paths at UW's Rocky Rococo Classic and the Panther Invitational, but do not meet on the field until Oct. 4 in a 3 p.m. showdown at Engelmann Field.
UWM opens its season with a pair of in-season tournaments, including its own Panther Invitational, Sept. 9-11, at Engelmann Field. The longest running
tournament in all of Division I, the Panther Invite features Farleigh Dickinson, Oakland and Wisconsin. Milwaukee takes on Oakland, an NCAA Tournament team two of the last three years, on Friday before meeting Farleigh Dickinson on Sunday. FDU has made the post-season in four of the last five seasons.
After a mid-week home match with a traditionally-strong Bradley squad Sept. 13, the Panthers head to Spokane, Wash., for the Gonzaga Tournament. UWM
opens with Oregon State from the Pac-10 before taking on the host Bulldogs. Gonzaga advanced to the West Coast Conference Championship game last season, falling to UWM's first round NCAA opponent, San Francisco.
"Farleigh Dickinson and Gonzaga are two good teams from conferences that do not get that much attention," Bennett said. "With the success of teams like UC-Santa Barbara (which advanced to the NCAA Final last season), those conferences are getting more and more notice."
The Panthers open their league slate at Cleveland State on Sept. 29. Three days later, they face a showdown with Detroit in a rematch of last year's
Horizon League Championship game at Engelmann Field before returning to the road for a pair of league contests at Wright State and Butler.
UIC, which ended Milwaukee's 25-game league unbeaten streak last season in Chicago, visits Engelmann Field in a much-anticipated rematch Oct. 12. The Panthers then return to the road, playing four of their next five games away from home heading into the Horizon League Tournament. Included in that stretch is the annual John LeWang Memorial Trophy match at Northern Illinois Oct. 16 and the Milwaukee Cup contest with Marquette Oct. 31 at Valley Field.
"The better you get, the easier it is to get the higher-rated teams on the schedule," Bennett said. "We are still aware a lot of those teams do not want to come to Engelmann to play us. But, we are starting to see a change in that trend."
Though the Panthers lost all-time leading goal-scorer Antou Jallow due to graduation, they do return six starters from last year's 14-5-3 squad. Included in that group are juniors Neil Dombrowski and Kyle Zenoni and sophomores Dale Weiler and Eric Mickschl.
Kevin O'Connor
Sports Information Director
The Panthers, who have won the last four Horizon League titles and advanced to the last four NCAA Tournaments, will also travel to Spokane, Wash., for a tournament and see strong regional foes Oakland and Bradley during a challenging 2005 slate.
"The main thing we try to do every year is craft a schedule that would suit our quest for a better RPI," Bennett said. "We also want to put together a testing schedule that will prepare us for our league season and post-season play. Our conference is also greatly improving."
Milwaukee faces Michigan, which like UWM advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, Oct. 20 in Ann Arbor, Mich. It is the first regular season match between the two schools, who met in a pre-season match last year. UWM and Wisconsin cross paths at UW's Rocky Rococo Classic and the Panther Invitational, but do not meet on the field until Oct. 4 in a 3 p.m. showdown at Engelmann Field.
UWM opens its season with a pair of in-season tournaments, including its own Panther Invitational, Sept. 9-11, at Engelmann Field. The longest running
tournament in all of Division I, the Panther Invite features Farleigh Dickinson, Oakland and Wisconsin. Milwaukee takes on Oakland, an NCAA Tournament team two of the last three years, on Friday before meeting Farleigh Dickinson on Sunday. FDU has made the post-season in four of the last five seasons.
After a mid-week home match with a traditionally-strong Bradley squad Sept. 13, the Panthers head to Spokane, Wash., for the Gonzaga Tournament. UWM
opens with Oregon State from the Pac-10 before taking on the host Bulldogs. Gonzaga advanced to the West Coast Conference Championship game last season, falling to UWM's first round NCAA opponent, San Francisco.
"Farleigh Dickinson and Gonzaga are two good teams from conferences that do not get that much attention," Bennett said. "With the success of teams like UC-Santa Barbara (which advanced to the NCAA Final last season), those conferences are getting more and more notice."
The Panthers open their league slate at Cleveland State on Sept. 29. Three days later, they face a showdown with Detroit in a rematch of last year's
Horizon League Championship game at Engelmann Field before returning to the road for a pair of league contests at Wright State and Butler.
UIC, which ended Milwaukee's 25-game league unbeaten streak last season in Chicago, visits Engelmann Field in a much-anticipated rematch Oct. 12. The Panthers then return to the road, playing four of their next five games away from home heading into the Horizon League Tournament. Included in that stretch is the annual John LeWang Memorial Trophy match at Northern Illinois Oct. 16 and the Milwaukee Cup contest with Marquette Oct. 31 at Valley Field.
"The better you get, the easier it is to get the higher-rated teams on the schedule," Bennett said. "We are still aware a lot of those teams do not want to come to Engelmann to play us. But, we are starting to see a change in that trend."
Though the Panthers lost all-time leading goal-scorer Antou Jallow due to graduation, they do return six starters from last year's 14-5-3 squad. Included in that group are juniors Neil Dombrowski and Kyle Zenoni and sophomores Dale Weiler and Eric Mickschl.
Kevin O'Connor
Sports Information Director