CofC Women’s Soccer Announces 2008 Schedule Full of NCAA Experience
The College of Charleston women’s soccer program will play five 2007 NCAA Tournament qualifiers as part of a challenging 2008 schedule, Head Coach Kevin Dempsey announced.
“As always, we will challenge our team in the non-conference portion of the schedule to build towards the goal of winning the conference and advancing to the NCAA Tournament,” Dempsey said. “But we won’t get a break in conference play. The SoCon is considered by many to be the premier mid-major in the country.”
The Cougars will open the season with a weekend in Jacksonville, Fla., where they will face Jacksonville Friday, Aug. 22, and North Florida Sunday, Aug. 24.
Other non-conference match-ups include trips to Spartanburg, S.C. to play USC Upstate Aug. 29, a tournament at Davidson Sept.4-6, where the Cougars face Lehigh and Richmond and to Atlanta, Ga., for a match against Kennesaw State, the 2007 Atlantic Sun champion. Home games include Presbyterian for the home opener Sept. 2, 2007 Big South champion High Point and the annual Silver Cup derby with Charleston Southern Sept. 22.
The Cougars begin their SoCon slate by hosting Appalachian State and Western Carolina Friday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 28, respectively. Sunday’s game will be a rematch of the 2007 SoCon Tournament game that was decided by an 11-round penalty kick shootout won by Charleston. The SoCon saw three of its member schools in the 2007 NCAA tourney.
The Cougars travel to N.C., October 3-5 to take on Elon and first-year coach Chris Neal as well as UNCG, the two-time defending SoCon champion. The Spartans are on a 23-match, regular season win streak and a earned 2007 NCAA Tournament at-large bid. UNCG eliminated the Cougars in last year’s conference semi-final,1-0 after CofC defeated the Spartans in a 3-2 double overtime thriller in the regular season.
“The first couple weekends bring a little of everything that you expect in conference play,” Dempsey said. “Appalachian State is always a very physical, grinding battle and our history with Western speaks for itself. The road matches are tough no matter the opponent but Chris (Neal) will have Elon extremely prepared. UNCG is the current benchmark in the SoCon.”
The Cougars host a key match-up against a perennial preseason favorite in Davidson Oct. 10. The Wildcats defeated Louisiana State and Vanderbilt to win the CofC Cougar Classic last season. The squad then heads to Statesboro, Ga., to face Georgia Southern Oct. 12.
Charleston plays SoCon newcomer Samford in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Oct. 17, and finishes its road trip in Chattanooga, Tenn., against the Lady Mocs Oct. 19. Samford received an at-large bid to the 2007 NCAA Tournament, and will add challenging competition to a formidable conference line up.
“It’s great to add a quality school like Samford to balance the number of members in our sport. We are getting a top notch women’s soccer program that will take this conference to an even higher level.”
The regular season wraps up with three home matches: Friday, Oct. 24, against 2007 SoCon Tournament champion, Furman; Sunday, Oct. 26, versus Wofford and Thursday, Oct. 30, against cross-town rival, The Citadel.
Furman Releases 2008 Women’s Soccer Schedule
Greenville, S.C. -- Nine home games, including a clash with Atlantic Coast Conference foe Clemson at Stone Soccer Stadium, highlight Furman’s 2008 women’s soccer schedule, it was announced this week by Paladin head coach Andrew Burr.
The Paladins open the season hosting Coastal Carolina and Canisius in the Select Kickoff Classic on August 29 and 31, before facing Francis Marion and South Carolina the following weekend at the Carolinas’ Cup in Columbia, S.C.
After entertaining UNC Asheville on September 10, Furman faces Presbyterian and Kennesaw State at the Wofford Invitational September 12 and 14. Clemson visits Stone Stadium for a 7 p.m. contest on September 19, and Furman closes its non-conference schedule with a trip to USC Upstate three day later.
“It is a challenging non-conference schedule that will prepare us for an always tough Southern Conference, especially with the addition of Samford,” said Burr. “We are also excited about continuing a great Upstate rivalry by hosting Clemson again this year.”
Home games against Davidson (Sept. 25) and Georgia Southern (Sept. 28) open Southern Conference play before the Paladins embark on a three-match road trip to Appalachian State, Western Carolina and first-year SoCon member Samford. The defending SoCon Tournament champions return home to host Chattanooga (Oct. 12), Elon (Oct. 17) and rival UNC Greensboro (Oct. 19) to close out the home schedule.
Following road trips to Charleston, The Citadel and Wofford, Furman will take part in the SoCon Tournament on November 2, with the top four seeds hosting first round matches. The semifinals and finals are set for November seventh and ninth, respectively.
The 2008 Lady Paladins return six starters from a squad that posted a 16-6-1 record, claimed the Southern Conference Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth the time in the last eight seasons. Burr’s 2008 recruiting class was recently ranked by Soccer Buzz Magazines as the top incoming class in the Southern Conference and 15th in the Southeast Region.