ST. LOUIS – The 2012 Atlantic 10 Conference champion Saint Louis University men's soccer team is heading to Madrid, Spain, May 23-30, for an exhibition soccer tour.
The Billikens will play at least two games and will have the opportunity to train at some of the top soccer stadiums in Madrid. The complete schedule, which is still being finalized, will be posted on SLUBillikens.com at a later date. During the tour, members of the team will keep a blog that will be periodically updated on SLUBillikens.com.
While on the trip, the Billikens will be visiting the SLU Madrid Campus. Paul Stark, S.J., SLU's vice president for mission and ministry, is traveling with the Billikens and will coordinate events for the team to engage with the SLU community at the Madrid Campus.
“This is a great opportunity for our student-athletes,” SLU head coach Mike McGinty said. “They will benefit from this experience both athletically and culturally. Being able to have another week together on the pitch, while playing with and seeing some of the greatest players in the world, will undoubtedly help us as we being to work toward our goal of winning another A-10 title and advancing further into the NCAA Tournament.”
“On behalf of the program, I'd like to extend a special thank you to the SLU administration,” McGinty said. “The SLU community, from the administration to the alumni to the donors, stepped up and supported this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes.”
About the SLU Madrid Campus
Established in 1967, the Madrid Campus is home to more than 670 students, and is the oldest and most renowned U.S. university in Spain. In fact, SLU Madrid was the first U.S. university to be recognized by Spain's Ministry of Education as an institution of higher education in Madrid.
At SLU Madrid, undergraduates can complete distinctly international four-year degree programs as well as earn master's degrees in Spanish and English. Undergraduates also can begin nearly every SLU major at SLU Madrid — including programs in business, engineering, health sciences and the liberal arts — and finish their degrees in St. Louis. In addition to those students in degree programs, more than 200 students from universities across the United States and around the world study abroad at the Madrid Campus each semester.
