EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE men's soccer will kick off its 2017 spring schedule with a 5 p.m. game Sunday, Mar. 19, at Korte Stadium against Saint Louis FC as a fundraiser for the Korte Stadium turf project.
"I can't thank Saint Louis FC enough for giving us this opportunity," said SIUE Head Coach Mario Sanchez. "It speaks volumes about the club, and it will help promote their brand and the SIUE brand. It shows they are trying to give back to the soccer community."
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This is the third year in a row that the Cougars have met Saint Louis FC in a "friendly." The Cougars plan to utilize the 2017 event as a fundraiser, looking to build funds to upgrade the turf at Korte Stadium.
General admission tickets are set for the game at $10 for adults and $5 for youth. Tailgating tickets are available for $50 per vehicle, which provides access to the berm on the east side of Korte Stadium. Field-side seats are available for $100. VIP seating is available for $500, which includes a field-side seat as well as food and beverages throughout the game.
GA and field-side seats may be purchased online.
"We're trying to improve our facility," said Sanchez. "One of the big parts of running an NCAA Division I program is constantly figuring out what can do to improve. The turf has been wonderful. It's just time to give it some tender loving care. It helps the community as well because the field is used often by the local youth soccer teams."
The contest also will serve as a tune-up game for Saint Louis FC, one of the newest franchises in the USL. Saint Louis FC will kick off its 2017 season March 25 at Louisville FC. Saint Louis FC's new head coach Predrag (Preki) Radosavljevic previously coached the 2014 USL champion Sacramento Republic and has won an MLS title as a player and as a coach.
SIUE men's soccer is fresh off the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
"We're always trying to measure ourselves against the best whether that is collegiately or the professional game," noted Sanchez. "We want to expose our guys to high-level soccer, and a lot of our players have aspirations to play at that level."
All tickets are available by calling the SIUE Athletics tickets office at 855-SIUE TIX.
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