GREENSBORO, NC – UNC Greensboro women’s soccer coach Eddie Radwanski announced Monday the schedule for the 2008 season, which features eight home dates.
The always challenging nonconference slate includes Coastal Carolina, which was upset in the Big South final last season after winning the regular season, along with Stanford, Santa Clara, Wake Forest and Duke – all of which were NCAA tournament teams last year. UNCG is coming off an NCAA tournament appearance of its own, finishing 16-5-1 overall and winning the SoCon regular-season title. The Spartans earned an at-large slot after falling in the SoCon tournament final and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, beating Memphis in the opening round before losing to North Carolina.
“Our schedule will present us with some new teams from around the country and exciting challenges,” said Radwanski. “We feel like it will again be one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the country, but one that we welcome. The opportunity to play Santa Clara and Stanford will be a good test for our squad. Both of those teams were ranked No. 1 in the country at some point last year.
“We like playing these challenging games because it helps us get better, prepares us for conference play and, potentially, the NCAA tournament,” Radwanski said. “A year ago, it was the strength of our schedule that got us into the NCAA tournament. Traditionally, we have always played great games against the CAA schools, and this coming season we will have tough games with George Mason and VCU. In addition, playing ACC foes Duke and Wake Forest on the road will be no easy task.”
The Spartans will open the season with three home games, starting off with Coastal Carolina on Friday, Aug. 22, at 7 pm at UNCG Soccer Stadium. UNCG will face Utah on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 1 pm and then host George Mason at 7 pm on Aug. 29. That, however, will be UNCG’s last home game until October.
The Spartans will play eight consecutive games away from home, beginning with a trip to Duke on Sunday evening, Aug. 31. The Blue Devils advanced to the fourth round of the NCAA tournament last year before losing a heartbreaker to Notre Dame.
UNCG will then face Stetson and VCU on Sept. 5 and 7 at a tournament in Raleigh, NC, before flying to California a week later. Playing in Palo Alto, CA, UNCG will participate in Stanford’s tournament, facing Santa Clara on Friday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 pm ET (4:30 pm PT) and tourney host Stanford on the 14th at 5:30 pm ET (2:30 pm PT). Both teams were in the NCAA tournament last year, Santa Clara falling to Cal in the opening round at Stanford, while the Cardinal advanced to the third round before losing at Connecticut.
UNCG returns to the area to play a road game at Wake Forest on Friday night, Sept. 19, before opening conference play a week later. The Spartans, who have won 20 straight Southern Conference regular-season matches – three shy of the league record, will take on Chattanooga on Friday, Sept. 26, before visiting conference newcomer Samford on Sunday, Sept. 28.
The Spartans finally return home to face The Citadel on Friday, Oct. 3 – the first of three straight at UNCG Soccer Stadium. UNCG will also host College of Charleston on Oct. 5 and Western Carolina on Oct. 10 before hitting the road again for three straight. After visiting Appalachian State, Wofford and Furman, the Spartans will come home to take on Georgia Southern on Friday, Oct. 24, and Davidson on Sunday, Oct. 26. UNCG will close out the regular season on Oct. 30 at backyard rival Elon.
The Southern Conference Tournament will be played in the same format again this year with campus sites hosting the quarterfinal round. The semifinal and championship rounds will be played in Mt. Pleasant, SC, at the Patriots Point Complex.
UNCG will return 17 of 22 players from last year’s roster, including eight of the top nine scorers from a year ago.
AGATE
2008 SCHEDULE (all times are Eastern): Aug. 22 COASTAL CAROLINA, 7 pm; Aug. 24 UTAH, 1 pm; Aug. 29 GEORGE MASON, 7 pm; Aug. 31 at Duke, 6 pm; Sept. 5 vs. Stetson at Raleigh, NC (VCU Tournament) 5 pm; Sept. 7 vs. VCU at Raleigh, NC (VCU Tournament). 3:30 pm; Sept. 12 vs. Santa Clara at Palo Alto, CA (Stanford Tournament), 7:30 pm; Sept. 14 at Stanford (Stanford Tournament), 5:30 pm; Sept. 19 at Wake Forest, 7 pm; Sept. 26 at Chattanooga, TBA; Sept. 28 at Samford, TBA; Oct. 3 CITADEL, 7 pm; Oct. 5 COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, 1 pm; Oct. 10 WESTERN CAROLINA, 7 pm; Oct. 12 at Appalachian State, TBA; Oct. 17 at Wofford, TBA; Oct. 19 at Furman, TBA; Oct. 24 GEORGIA SOUTHERN, 7 pm; Oct. 26 DAVIDSON, 2 pm; Oct. 30 at Elon, TBA; Nov. 2 Southern Conference Tournament – quarterfinals (at campus sites), TBA; Nov. 7 Southern Conference Tournament – semifinals (Mt. Pleasant, SC), TBA; Nov. 9 Southern Conference Tournament – final (Mt. Pleasant, SC), TBA.
- UNCG -