BATON ROUGE — The LSU soccer team welcomes three NCAA Tournament teams, an in-state rival and six Southeastern Conference opponents to highlight its 2006 home schedule released by head coach Brian Lee on Tuesday.
The Tigers’ non-conference slate features a home match against nationally-ranked Texas scheduled for Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. The Longhorns are a fixture among the nation’s top 25 teams and will bring an experienced squad to Baton Rouge with 10 starters returning from a team that advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2005.
“We’re excited to have a nationally respected program like Texas making a trip to Baton Rouge this season,” Lee said. “It should be an exciting game for both our players and our fans to be a part of. We’ve only hosted one ranked non-conference opponent in our history, and attracting quality teams like Texas is something we hope to do in the future.”
LSU’s home opener at the LSU Soccer Complex is scheduled for Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. against in-state rival Louisiana-Lafayette followed by non-conference matches against Sam Houston State on Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. and Houston on Sept. 3 at 1 p.m.
“We have filled our home non-conference schedule this year with some respected clubs that should give our team a good test,” Lee said. “I know our fans are excited about the prospects of our team this year, and they have some great games to come and see what our girls can do.”
The Tigers’ SEC season kicks off with home dates against Vanderbilt on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. and Kentucky on Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. The Commodores finished the season ranked 27th in the final Soccer Buzz Top 30 after advancing to the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while the Wildcats extended their SEC record streak of league tournament appearances to 13.
The Tigers follow a four-game SEC road trip with matches against Western Division rivals Auburn and Alabama on Oct. 13 and Oct. 15, respectively. Their match against the Tigers from the Plains is scheduled for 7 p.m., while they will play the Crimson Tide at 1 p.m.
LSU welcomes nationally-ranked Florida to Baton Rouge for an afternoon tilt on Sunday, Oct. 22. The Gators have appeared in the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked in the top 25 in nine of the last 10 seasons while winning the national championship in 1998. The Tigers end the regular season at home against Arkansas on Oct. 27 in a match scheduled for 7 p.m.
“We definitely have a great SEC schedule with perennial NCAA Tournament teams like Florida, Auburn and Vanderbilt coming in,” Lee said. “It’s tremendous any time we have teams like Texas, Florida and Auburn included in our 10 home games. It’s going to make for an exciting year of soccer in Baton Rouge.”