PROVO -- The 2008 BYU Cougars women's soccer schedule, released this week by head coach Jennifer Rockwood, will provide strong competition for the talented team.
The defending MWC Champions will face off against many of the top women's soccer programs in the country. Seven of the 20 teams the Cougars will face throughout the season finished the 2007 season in the top-50 RPI, and five opponents advanced to the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
"We are really excited about the level of competition we will face the coming season," said Coach Rockwood. "The team has high expectations and looks foreword to the challenges and opportunities of a great schedule."
The 2008 season includes 12 road games. BYU opens that road schedule with a game against Big West Conference team Cal Poly on Aug. 22. Last year the Cougars and the Mustangs battled to a 0-0 tie after two overtimes. BYU will then visit 2007 SEC Western Division champion LSU on Aug. 25.
In its home opener, the opponent will be another very strong SEC team and NCAA tourney participant in Georgia on Aug. 29, which will be followed with another home game at South Field against Pac-10 member Arizona on Sept. 1. The Bulldogs game will kick off at 7 p.m., and the Wildcats contest starts at 4 p.m.
The team's second road swing begins Sept. 4, when they face William & Mary, a team that also advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year. A game at Marquette on Sept. 6 and at Long Beach State on Sept. 11 complete the road trip for the Cougars.
BYU will return home for a single game against Idaho State on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m., and then head to Coral Gables, Fla., to challenge the University of Miami Hurricanes on Sept. 16.
The Cougars will be at home for another single game to host Michigan State from the Big 10 Conference on Sept. 19. That contest begins at 7 p.m.
On their next three-game road trip the Cougars face another NCAA second-round team, Cal, on Sept. 25 and play at Utah State on Oct. 2 at 4 p.m.
The team begins the 2008 MWC race with the traditional rivalry game against Utah in Salt Lake City on Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
"The conference continues to gets stronger and stronger with each year," added Coach Rockwood. "I would expect that this season will be the most competitive to date. We will have to be at our very best each and every game in order to reach our goals"
BYU continues MWC action and will look to capitalize on the opportunity of playing in front of friendly fans when they host UNLV on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., and San Diego State on Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. The Cougars will then travel to Fort Worth to play TCU on Oct. 16, and to Albuquerque to face New Mexico on Oct. 18.
In late October the team will return home for its final two home games, hosting Air Force on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., and step out of league play to face Weber State on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., before concluding their regular season in Laramie against MWC foe Wyoming on Nov. 1.
The MWC Women's soccer tournament will be held Nov. 5-8 in Las Vegas. The winner of the championship will advance to the NCAA tournament, which begins Nov. 13.
The annual women's soccer 'Blue and White' exhibition game will be held Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. Admission is free of charge.
BYU's women's soccer team finished the 2007 season with a record of 17-4-2. They won the Mountain West Conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they fell to the University of Texas, 2-0.