Aug. 22, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis Tigers men's soccer squad is set to face-off with the NSCAA preseason 19th-ranked Billikens of Saint Louis University at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23 at Hermann Stadium in Saint Louis. The Billikens are coming off of a season in which they finished 12-2-5 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Richie Grant's Memphis Tigers capped off the 2007 season with a mark of 10-5-4, finishing fifth in Conference USA.

Memphis and Saint Louis are former C-USA rivals. The Billikens lead the series with a record of 15-5-1 over the Tigers. However, in the two teams' last two matches as C-USA foes, Memphis came away as the victor. Memphis defeated the then 21st-ranked Saint Louis team, 2-0, on Oct. 23, 2004, and then again on Nov. 13, 2004, in the Conference USA Tournament, on the Tigers' way to capturing the 2004 C-USA Conference Championship.

The U of M returns a team of seasoned veterans in 2008. The Tigers are led by their six senior captains who will set the pace for the rest of their teammates this season. Michael Coburn, Sean Goulding, Tripp Harkins, Thomas Hyland, Jordan Lynn and Robert Sausaman have combined to start 267 games for the blue and gray. Coburn, a senior defender from Dundalk, Ireland, returns as the Tigers' only remaining player from the 2004 Conference USA Championship squad. Memphis will only go as far as their six seniors take them in 2008. Coburn earned Second Team All-C-USA honors last season. Goulding, a native of Arbroath, Scotland, earned Third Team All-C-USA accolades.

Though experience is the name of the game for the Tigers this season, look for several freshman to make their contributions known. Thomas Shannon, a freshman midfielder from Broken Arrow, Okla., and Parker Duncan, a freshman midfielder/forward from Johnson City, both kicked their Memphis careers off by scoring goals in the Tigers' first exhibition game against Christian Brothers. Duncan also added an assist to his opening game statistics.

Their opponent, the Saint Louis Billikens, boasts three players; Calum Angus, Kyle Patterson and Eric Sweetin, who made the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List heading into the 2008 campaign. Saint Louis' three nominees ties Wake Forest and UCONN for the most players on the Hermann Trophy Watch List. Wake Forest was the NCAA National Champion in 2007. Angus, a senior from Portsmouth, England, and Patterson, a senior from Birmingham, England, were also named to College Soccer News' Preseason All-American team. Angus scored two goals in 2007, while anchoring the Billiken defense. Angus was a Second Team NSCAA All-American last season and was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year. Patterson anchored the Saint Louis offense in his junior season. He led Head Coach Dan Donigan's squad with 10 goals and four assists. Patterson was named the 2007 Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year.

The Billikens opened their exhibition season on Wednesday with a 1-0 win over the DePaul Blue Demons.

The game between Memphis and Saint Louis will be streamed live on the Saint Louis website for free. Visit http://slubillikens.cstv.com/ to catch the live kickoff at 7 p.m., on Saturday, Aug. 23.