University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Soccer Prepares For Exhibitions
August 13, 2003 | Men's Soccer
Aug. 13, 2003
AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Massachusetts men's soccer team kicks off its 2003 campaign with a pair of exhibition games against two traditionally-strong teams. The Minutemen will battle the University of Montreal on Aug. 18 at Rudd Field, before taking on preseason No. 3 St. John's on Aug. 23 in Chicopee.
Monday's game against the University of Montreal will be the first action for the Minutemen. The game will be at Rudd Field, starting at 5:00 p.m. In 2002, UMass posted a 12-6-2 record, won the Atlantic 10 Conference title outright and scored a school-record 55 goals. The Minutemen return 14 letterwinners and six starters off that squad, including second team All-Atlantic 10 selection Ptah Myers, who scored 23 points (8 g, 7 a) last year.
"It will be a very good challenge for us," said Head Coach Sam Koch. "We played them last year on our Canadian tour, and they were the best team we played up there. They are a big, physical team that will really put a lot of pressure on us. It will be a good, early measuring stick for us after only four days of practice."
The Minutemen will then host preseason No. 3 St. John's University on Saturday, August 23, at Chicopee's Szot Park. Kick-off is slated for 7:00 p.m., and tickets can be purchased at the gates on the day of the game. Prices are $6 for adults and $3 for students. The game marks the third straight year that UMass has hosted the event and played a top 10 team. In 2001, the Minutemen fell to No. 8 North Carolina, the 2000 National Champs, 2-0. Last season, UMass knocked off No. 7 Rutgers, 4-3, behind Chicopee native Jeff Deren's hat trick.
"This will be the best team we will play this year," said Koch. "St. John's will have the best defense we will see, and they have nearly everyone back from last year's team that went 13-3-5 and lost in the NCAA semifinals. This will be a very good experience for us and will make us a better team."
The Minutemen will then open up the regular season with an Aug. 30 game at Hartford. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
