Memphis, Tenn. – The Memphis Tiger men’s soccer team will continue their season this Thursday when they head north to face the Billikins of St. Louis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“The guys have earned it, it’s been a challenging year,” the head coach said Richard Mulroney. “They put in the time and effort, and I’m really happy for them.”
Memphis (9-5-4) earned the program’s first at-large bid after finishing 5thTh at the power-heavy American Athletic Conference Championships. Alberto Cruz He led the team with eight goals this season, earning him All-Conference Second Team recognition and a spot on the All-Rookie Team.
Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos The Tiger offense also had an impact this year; A sophomore in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian scored six goals and provided four assists, including two game-winning goals for Memphis. Colin WelshHe leads the American Athletic Conference with a .774 save percentage and 72 saves, has spent more than 1,600 minutes in goal and has been the Tigers’ go-to in all 18 contests this season.
St. Louis (11-4-1) is coming off their second straight A10 championship, where they beat Loyola Chicago 3-2 in penalty kicks to win the crown.
“We have a big challenge ahead of us going to St. Louis, but we’re excited for the opportunity to play,” Mulroney said.
Jon Klein and CJ Coppola have led SLU with seven and six goals, respectively, this year, while Carlos Toffern has scored just 12 goals in 15 games played.
Memphis and St. Louis are no strangers to each other, having competed against each other as far back as 1991. The Billikins and Tigers met again in the 2021 season in St. Louis, where SLU won 3-0.
Thursday’s match kicks off at 7pm CT in St. Louis, Mo. Coverage of the tournament can be found on ESPN+ and GoTigersGo.com. Tickets for the match can be purchased Here.
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