The Swope Park Rangers will face Rockhurst University and Creighton University to close out their preseason schedule before taking on the University of Tulsa during a bye weekend in April, the club announced today. All three games will be open to the public and free to attend.
The Rangers will play Rockhurst at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 12 before facing Creighton at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 19. Both games will be played at Children’s Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village.
Rockhurst University is a Kansas City-based college whose Division II men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA DII Men’s Soccer Championship semifinals for the second time in three years in 2015, falling 1-0 to Cal Poly Pomona after going 18-1-3 during the season. Since joining the NCAA in 1998 under the leadership of head coach Tony Tocco, the Hawks have posted a 225-86-38 record and advanced to the national tournament eight times (2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015).
Head Coach Elmar Bolowich leads Creighton into the 2016 season in his fifth year at the helm, having posted a 82-22-9 record with the team in Omaha, Nebraska. Creighton has appeared in 23 of the last 24 NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the College Cup five times – most recently in 2012. Last season, the Bluejays went 19-4-0 as the side advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals before being eliminated by Akron.
Next month, the Rangers will face the University of Tulsa on April 16 at Swope Soccer Village, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. CT. Tulsa advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round in 2015 under the stewardship of head coach Tom McIntosh, who is entering his 22nd year with the Golden Hurricane with a 228-151-42 record – including a 8-6-7 mark last season. Tulsa has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in nine of the last 13 seasons, including quarterfinal appearances in 2004 and 2009.
The Swope Park Rangers kick off their maiden USL season on March 26 against Portland Timbers 2 at Children’s Mercy Park. Season tickets, flex voucher packages and single-game tickets are all available, beginning at $7 per game, by calling 888-4KC-GOAL or visiting the Swope Park Rangers Ticketmaster page.
