University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Looking to Break the Attendance Record
9/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
The Golden Gopher soccer team will attempt to the break the Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium attendance record on Friday in its Big Ten home opener against Northwestern. All tickets for the match are just one dollar. The opening kick is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Shuttles will be running from both the main lot and driving range lot at the University of Minnesota Les Bolstad Golf Course, in addition to the Twin Cities Co-Op parking lot located on Larpenteur Ave.
Minnesota drew the two largest crowds in school history last season. In their Big Ten opener against Purdue on Sept. 23, 2005, the Golden Gophers set a school record with 1,751 fans. In the regular season finale, 1,611 spectators saw the Gophers take top-ranked Penn State to the wire. Both of those marks surpassed the previous top attendance of 1,432 set in the stadium's inaugural game on Sept. 4, 1999 against Arizona State.
Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium has been a friendly home for the Golden Gophers. After the first half of the 2006 season, Minnesota is 5-1-0 on its home turf. The Gophers have outscored their opponents 11-2 at home this season. Minnesota is 79-33-6 (.695) all-time at home.
In addition, the Gophers boast a 4-1-0 record on Friday nights in 2006. Minnesota has allowed just one goal in five Friday night games, that coming last weekend in a 0-1 loss at Indiana. The Maroon and Gold started the season with four straight shutouts in the first game of a weekend, blanking Drake, Iowa State, Army and Dartmouth.
Minnesota enters this weekend’s games as the top defensive team in the Big Ten Conference. The Gophers are tied for the league lead with just six goals allowed through the first 10 games of the season. Sophomore Lindsey Dare and freshman Chelsey Turner have both been stellar between the posts. Dare’s .931 save percentage ranks fifth in the nation. She and Turner rank first and second in the conference, respectively, in both save percentage and saves per game. In addition, Turner ranks second in the Big Ten with a 0.50 goals-against-average, while Dare is fourth with at 0.64.
Minnesota’s offense has been equally impressive so far this season. Leading the attack are sophomore Lindsey Schwartz and redshirt freshman Elena Fruci. Schwartz leads the team and is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 11 total points. Fruci is not far behind with 10 points, good enough for a tie for sixth in the conference.
For ticket information, visit the link on the left or contact the Golden Gopher Ticket Office at 612-624-8080 or 1-800-UGOPHER.
