ST. LOUIS — CITYPARK, the home to Major League Soccer's St. Louis CITY SC, will host one of the most historic rivalry matches in NCAA Division I soccer when Saint Louis University and SIUE men's teams compete for the Bronze Boot on Saturday, September 2, 2023. The game is part of an evening doubleheader which also will feature the SLU and SIUE women's teams facing off earlier in the evening.
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The women's match will kick off at 5:00 p.m., with the men's match kick-off following at 7:30 p.m.
"The Bronze Boot is synonymous with collegiate soccer history and its impact on St. Louis is far and wide – it's an honor for CITYPARK to be part of its story," said Carolyn Kindle, CEO, St. Louis CITY SC. "We are excited to welcome SLU and SIUE fans to CITYPARK and watch as soccer's superstars of tomorrow take the pitch in front of a loud hometown crowd."
Bronze Boot HistoryFirst played in 1969, the Bronze Boot is one of NCAA's most anticipated soccer rivalries and a strong reflection of St. Louis' storied soccer culture.
A well-attended local bout, the men's series was held in Downtown St. Louis at Busch Stadium II from 1972-1986 to accommodate large crowds. Following a 23-year hiatus, the rivalry was re-established in 2018. The Bronze Boot is responsible for three of the 15 largest crowds in NCAA history, with the most attended game in NCAA history being the 11th annual Bronze Boot meeting, which saw 22,512 fans watch the Billikens and the Cougars play at Busch Stadium on October 30, 1980.
"SIUE Athletics is excited to partner with Saint Louis University and St. Louis CITY SC in this showcase of high-level men's and women's college soccer," SIUE Director of Athletics Andrew Gavin said. "CITYPARK and St. Louis CITY SC are amazing new additions to our community, and the state-of-the-art CITYPARK provides a fitting venue for the next chapter of the historic Bronze Boot rivalry. Our student-athletes will be honored and excited to take the pitch and compete at CITYPARK, and we're so grateful to Carolyn Kindle and the St. Louis CITY SC organization for providing this opportunity."
"We are thrilled for the opportunity to compete for the Bronze Boot at CITYPARK," SIUE men's soccer Head Coach Cale Wassermann said. "It is a state-of-the-art venue and the buzz around soccer in this area is through the roof right now with the addition of St. Louis City. This is the first year we have done a doubleheader with the women's teams which is exciting and should make for a great event. It has been a heated rivalry with some great games over the last few years against SLU and this year will be no different. We're really looking forward to it."
St. Louisans and soccer greats Chris Carenza, Al Trost, Dan Flynn, Brian McBride, Tim Twellman, and Ed Huneke, as well as current St. Louis CITY SC players John Klein and AJ Palazzolo, all played in the Bronze Boot during their collegiate careers. The Billikens own a 27-9-3 advantage in the men's overall series, including a 23-5-3 lead in the Bronze Boot series. Since the series was brought back in 2018, three out of four games have gone to overtime. The Cougars' last win in the series came in 1982.
The women's teams have played eight times since 2011. SLU women's soccer has a 6-1-1 edge in the series."What a thrill it will be for all the players to compete on the field at CITYPARK," SIUE women's soccer Head Coach Derek Burton said. "Our players have become fans of the team of course, but also the City ownership and leadership. They continue to provide opportunities and a platform for growth at all levels and, in our case, the women's college game. The opportunity to showcase our programs at this level, in such a beautiful stadium, is a dream come true for a player and to say that we're excited is an understatement."
Tickets
General admission tickets will go on sale to the general public Monday, July 31 at noon. (One ticket provides access to both the men's and women's matches.). Tickets are $20, and $10 per person for groups of 10 or more. (Please note, fees will apply.)To purchase tickets, visit www.seatgeek.com.For group tickets, please visit stlcitysc.com/bronze-boot or call 314-924-6800.Monday, July 31 – tickets on sale10:00 a.m.: St. Louis CITY SC Season Ticket Member presale11:00 a.m.: St. Louis CITY SC myCITY+ Member presale12:00 p.m.: On sale to general public
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