Sept. 17, 2003

FAIRFAX, VA ... Hurricane Isabel has begun to take its toll on the area as events for the George Mason men's and women's soccer team set for this weekend have been rescheduled.

The women's soccer game between George Mason and Pennsylvania scheduled for Friday has been postponed. The contest has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 4 p.m. at George Mason Stadium.

George Mason (3-1-2) entered the Mid-Atlantic Region rankings this week at a tie for 10th with Pennsylvania. The Patriots are ranked in the region for the first time since 2000, and they will return to action Sunday as they host Arkansas at 11 a.m., likely on a practice field.

The George Mason men's soccer game against American on Saturday has been changed, as well, although the teams still will play on Saturday. The game, originally set for 7 p.m. at George Mason Stadium, has been moved to 2 p.m. and will be played on one of the facility's practice fields.

The Patriots (4-1-1) lost for the first time this season as they were defeated by No. 5 Wake Forest, 2-1, in Winston-Salem, NC, on Tuesday.

The force of Hurricane Isabel, which will pass through the Washington, DC, area on Friday, is expected to leave the George Mason Stadium field unplayable as there have been problems with the field draining after the large amount of rainfall through the summer and early fall. Also, potential power outages could make it so the stadium lights would be inoperable.

These are the only home events scheduled this weekend. At this time, the James Madison Invitational, which both the men's and women's cross country teams are to participate in, is on as scheduled. The men's golf team is to compete in the James Madison Golf Invitational, which has been switched to a Sunday-Monday format at Lakeview Golf Course in Harrisonburg rather than the original Saturday-Sunday schedule.