Aug. 7, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame men’s and women’s soccer teams will hold the 2011 “Meet The Teams” barbecue and fan appreciation event from 4-6 p.m. (ET) Saturday (Aug. 13) at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown South Bend.
This free annual event, which has become a favorite of fans and teams alike, will feature free food for the first 500 persons in attendance. In addition, members of both teams will be on hand to sign autographs and take pictures, and fans will even have the chance to get their picture taken with the 2010 women’s soccer NCAA national championship trophy. Some of the Fighting Irish student-athletes also will be available to compete in pick-up games and skills challenges, and there will be other activities for younger fans, including face painting and balloon animals.
The “Meet The Teams” barbecue will take place as part of the kickoff to the 2011 Notre Dame soccer season. The defending national champion Fighting Irish women start things off, getting their season underway at noon (ET) Tuesday with an exhibition match against Nebraska at Alumni Stadium (free admission). Following a second preseason match at 1 p.m. (ET) Friday against Virginia up in Maple City, Mich., the Notre Dame women open the 2011 regular season at 5:30 p.m. (ET) Aug. 19 when they play host to Wisconsin at Alumni Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Notre Dame men will play three exhibition matches, the first two on the road (7 p.m. ET Aug. 16 at Xavier; 6 p.m. ET Aug. 18 at Butler) before making their home debut at 7 p.m. (ET) Aug. 22 against Creighton at Alumni Stadium. That match serves as the annual Fighting Irish preseason contest to benefit Grassroot Soccer — admission to that match is free, but donations will be accepted at the gate for Grassroot Soccer, an international AIDS awareness and education organization that reaches youth in Africa through soccer clinics. Dr. Tommy Clark, the son of Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark, is the founder and CEO of the organization.
The Fighting Irish men will kick off the 2011 regular season at 7 p.m. (ET) Aug. 27, playing host to in-state rival Indiana at Alumni Stadium.
Tickets for the 2011 Notre Dame soccer season now are on sale, with season tickets costing $40 per adult and $30 each for youths (21 & under) and seniors (55 & older). A Fan Pack (four season tickets) also is available for purchase at $100 per pack. In addition, single-match tickets may be bought at a cost of $5 for adults and $3 for youths and seniors — admission for Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross students is free for all regular-season home matches.
For more information, or to purchase tickets for the upcoming Fighting Irish soccer season, contact the Murnane Family Athletics Ticket Office, located inside the Rosenthal Atrium at Gate 9 of Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. The ticket office is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday, and also can be reached by phone at (574) 631-7356. In addition, tickets may be purchased on-line through the official Notre Dame athletics ticketing web page (UND.com/tickets) — all major credit cards are accepted and service charges may apply. Fans also may purchase individual tickets on match day by visiting the ticket windows outside Alumni Stadium beginning one hour prior to kickoff. Group discounts are available by contacting the ticket office in advance (ask for Rita Baxter for men’s group sales and Kelsey Edwards for women’s group sales).
— ND —