Nov. 17, 2008

Tulsa Earns NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Berth

IRVING, Texas - Back-to-Back Conference USA regular season and tournament champion Tulsa will host UMKC at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium Friday in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship which starts this weekend at various sites around the country. The Division I Men's Soccer Committee announced the bracket Monday.

Tulsa (15-3-3) is riding a 15-game unbeaten streak into the NCAA Championship. The Golden Hurricane tied Kentucky, 1-1, in yesterday's C-USA championship final and advanced on penalty kicks (4-2) to earn the conference's automatic bid. TU will be making its second consecutive NCAA appearance and fourth in the last six seasons. Tulsa has advanced to the NCAA's five times in program history.

Should TU advance to the second round, they will play seventh-seeded Creighton in Omaha, Neb. The Bluejays won the 2008 Missouri Valley Conference crown.

All first round games will be played wither Nov. 21 or 22, while all second-round action will take place Nov. 25. Twenty-two conferences were awarded automatic bids for the tournament and the remaining 26 teams were selected at large.

The 48 teams will be vying for the right to compete at the 2008 NCAA Men's College Cup December 12 and 14 in Frisco, Texas at Pizza Hut Park. SMU and FC Dallas will host the championship.