George Washington men’s soccer 2016 schedule announced
WASHINGTON (Via George Washington University) – The George Washington men’s soccer squad will host eight regular-season contests during the 18-match 2016 season slate, fifth-year head coach Craig Jones announced.
The defending Atlantic 10 regular season champion Colonials face a challenging non-conference schedule ahead of their league slate, including a visit to Wake Forest – the 2015 NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 seed.
“Our out of conference schedule sees us play a very competitive and difficult schedule that we hope will prepare us for the opposition we will face in our Atlantic 10 games later in the season,” said Jones.
GW will utilize two exhibition matches to tune up for the regular season, as James Madison visits the GW Soccer Field on the Mount Vernon campus onWednesday, Aug. 17, before the Colonials travel to Mary Washington on Sunday, Aug. 21.
“We have added some new opposition for this season, including Wake Forest – who were the No. 1 seed in last season’s NCAA tournament – Binghamton and William and Mary,” said Jones. “These are teams that we haven’t faced for some time or haven’t ever faced, so they will pose new problems and styles that we may not have come across before.”
The Buff and Blue open 2016 at William and Mary on Friday, Aug. 26, for a 7 p.m. bout before opening the home season on Monday, Aug. 29, when 2015 America East finalist Binghamton comes to the District for the squads’ first-ever meeting at 2 p.m. GW remains at home to host NJIT on Saturday, Sept. 3, for another 2 p.m. match.
+Read: George Washington women’s soccer unveils 2016 schedule
The Colonials then visit Loyola on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m. and return home to host Navy for a Sunday matinee on Sept. 11, at 2 p.m.
GW begins a stretch of four consecutive road matches at Wake Forest on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. The Demon Deacons owned the No. 1 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight. The Colonials then visit UMBC on Saturday, Sept. 17, (7 p.m.), Longwood on Tuesday, Sept. 20, (7 p.m.) and Robert Morris on Sunday, Sept. 25 (1 p.m.).
St. Francis Brooklyn comes to the GW Soccer Field on Wednesday, Sept. 28, (2 p.m.) to wrap the non-conference portion of the schedule and kick off a three-match homestand. Fordham serves as GW’s first A-10 foe of the season on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m., and is the first of five A-10 Championship qualifiers from 2015 to face the Colonials. VCU – an A-10 Championship finalist from a year ago – concludes the homestand on Wednesday, Oct. 5, with a 2 p.m. match.
The Colonials then visit 2015 A-10 qualifier Duquesne on Saturday, Oct. 8, (7 p.m.) before heading to George Mason on Wednesday, Oct. 12, (7 p.m.) for a Revolutionary Rivalry contest.
GW hosts St. Joseph’s on Saturday, Oct. 15, (2 p.m.) before a road trip to St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, Oct. 19, (4 p.m.).
The Colonials then take a 10-day hiatus from competition before returning north, this time to visit 2015 A-10 quarterfinalist Massachusetts on Saturday, Oct. 29, for a noon match.
The Buff and Blue conclude the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 5, at home when Saint Louis – an A-10 quarterfinalist from 2015 – travels to the GW Soccer Field for a 2 p.m. contest.
“Based on the previous few seasons’ results, this is going to be our hardest A-10 schedule in the past five years or so,” said Jones. “Last season’s success has added a little pressure to continue to show that we can maintain the form and intensity we played with going into last year’s conference tournament, and hopefully go further this year.”
The 2016 Atlantic 10 Championship will begin on Thursday, Nov. 10, at Davidson.
