• 2009 Men’s Soccer Schedule Link
• 2009 Printable Schedule (PDF)

NAIA Honorable Mention All-American Ramone Palmer returns to the Pirates in 2009 for his sophomore season.

PARKVILLE, Mo. – Park University head men’s soccer coach Efrem Shimlis has released his squad’s 2009 soccer schedule which will feature seven home matches at Park’s Julian Field and a rematch of the 2008 NAIA Opening Round game between Park and Baker University.

The Pirates will take on five teams that were ranked in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll last season and four teams that qualified for the 2008 NAIA Men’s Soccer National Tournament, along with two teams that received votes in the NAIA Coaches Poll.

“We have always had the tradition of playing tough teams and we take pride in that,” Shimlis said. “In order to see where your team is you have to play tough teams early.”

Park will open up the season with an intra squad exhibition match known as the “Maroon and Gold game” on August 22 at 1:00 p.m. at Park’s Julian Field.

The regular season will begin on August 29 at 3:00 p.m. featuring a match between the Pirates and Avila University at Julian Field. The Heart of America Athletic Conference team finished the 2008 season with an overall record of 4-13-1 and 1-8 in its conference.

Park’s next contest will feature a duel against one of the nation’s powerhouse programs in Lindsey Wilson University. Lindsey Wilson was ranked in the Top 10 throughout the 2008 season and held the No. 1 spot in the nation at one point in ‘08.

Park and Lindsey will clash on the campus of Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. on Monday, September 7 at 1:00 p.m.

The Blue Raiders won the Mid-South Conference Tournament in 2008 to qualify for the NAIA National Tournament and made it to the second round before being knocked out of the tourney by Mount Vernon Nazarene, 1-0. Lindsey took down Park, 1-0, last season back on August 30.

“We have had the opportunity to play Lindsey Wilson early in the season the past few years and we are fortunate because it is not easy to schedule such solid teams like Lindsey Wilson every year,” Shimlis said. “It’s great for our program to play such a superb team like them.”

Park’s next two games will put them up against two local rivals in William Jewell College and Benedictine College. The Pirates will take on Jewell at home on September 9 at 7:00 p.m. and then one week later will take on the Ravens also at home on September 16 at 7:00 p.m.

The Pirates defeated Jewell, 1-0, last season on a goal from Tazou Ali Tagba, while Park and Benedictine tied last season, 1-1, back on September 17, 2008.

After a road contest against Graceland on September 22, Park will come home for two home games against new Conference foes, William Woods and Hannibal-LaGrange College.

Park will begin its first season back in the American Midwest Conference in 2009 and had previously held membership in the AMC from 1993 to 2000, exiting the league following the spring semester in 2000.

“I am very excited about joining the AMC again because in my opinion that conference is going to be one of the best conferences in the country for soccer,” Shimlis said. “Our players know that every team we play this year in the AMC will make us play hard and we will have our work cut out for us.”

Hannibal-LaGrange is the AMC defending Tournament Champion and qualified for the NAIA Opening Round game last season, a game in which they lost to Hastings College on penalty kicks.

After another road contest at Columbia College on October 10, the Pirates will face Baker University on October 13 at Julian Field beginning at 7 p.m. in a rematch of last seasons NAIA Opening Round clash, in which the Wildcats defeated Park, 1-0, in overtime and ended the Pirates 2008 season.

Park’s Senior Day celebration will take place on Saturday, October 17 prior to the kickoff between the Pirates and AMC opponent Missouri Baptist.

Park will end the regular season with four straight road contests beginning with Harris Stowe State on October 19, nationally ranked Grandview University on October 24, nationally ranked AMC opponent McKendree University on October 24 and Williams Baptist College on Halloween, October 31.

The AMC Conference Tournament will begin on November 6 with the Quarterfinal Round which will take place at various sites and will carry on with the Semifinal Round on November 9 and will finish up on November 12 with the Championship game which will also be played on Campus sites.

The NAIA Opening Round is set for November 21, while the official NAIA National Tournament is slated for November 30 – December 5 in Fresno, Calif. at Ramirez Field on the campus of Fresno Pacific University.

The Pirates will look to return to their seventh straight NAIA National Tournament in 2009, as they reached the National Tournament last season with an overall record of 11-4-3.

For all information regarding Park University soccer in 2009 please visit www.parkathletics.com.

-PARK-