Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel women's soccer team released its schedule for the 2012 season on Tuesday. The Bulldogs, who finished 5-11-3 overall and 3-6-2 in the conference a year ago, will host seven games on Washington Light Infantry Field, including five Southern Conference matches.
The 2012 season starts with a slate of five road non-conference games followed by two home contests before starting SoCon play. The Bulldogs will open the season on Aug. 17 against intra-city foe Charleston Southern before heading to the Upstate to take on Winthrop, a team the Bulldogs beat 2-1 a season ago.
A few days later, the Cadets will take their talent to the northeast as they make the 1,214-mile trek to Orono, Maine, to take on the University of Maine. The Cadets topped the Black Bears, 3-1, at The Citadel Nike Classic on WLI Field in 2010. The Citadel will continue the road trip in Rhode Island where they will play Bryant University for the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
The Bulldogs will finish out their away slate of non-conference games against tough ACC competition as they head to Raleigh, N.C., to compete against N.C. State. The contest will mark the first-ever between the Dogs and Wolfpack.
The Citadel will then head back home to finish out non-conference play against in-state foe Coastal Carolina and University of Northern Iowa. The Bulldogs are just 1-6 against the Chanticleers, with their only win coming on a late goal by senior captain Amy Loughran in their last meeting in 2009.
"Our non-conference schedule will test us right away with some quality road trips," said Bulldog Head Coach Bob Winch, who is entering his seventh season at the helm.
The Citadel will begin conference play at home when it opens up a two-game home stretch against rivals Furman and Wofford. The Dogs will look for redemption from last season's trip to the Upstate where they lost first half leads in the both games, falling to the Paladins 2-1 and tying the Terriers 2-2.
The Bulldogs will hit the road for six more contests against Elon, UNC Greensboro, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Western Carolina and College of Charleston.
After a 2-2 first half score against the Spartans in 2011, UNC Greensboro scored two late goals to top the Bulldogs for the 11th consecutive year. However, the Dogs bounced back from their tough 2011 season to close out the year with a historic 3-2 victory over the Cougars on WLI Field. The win was The Citadel's first against the crosstown foe in 11 meetings.
The remainder of the home schedule includes matches against Davidson, Samford and Chattanooga. The Dogs played to a 0-0 draw against the 2011 SoCon Champion Samford Bulldogs and topped the Mocs, 2-1, last season in perhaps their most successful road trip of the 2011 slate.
"The SoCon games are always a battle. We are looking forward to the competition with the goal being a SoCon championship," said Winch.
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