TicketsMay 22, 2012
CINCINNATI -- Four 2011 NCAA Championship participants and eight home matches highlight the University of Cincinnati women's soccer team's 2012 schedule, which was released by head coach Michelle Salmon on Tuesday.
"As we head into our fifth season at Cincinnati, it's important that we continue to play a challenging schedule that will prepare us in our pursuit of a BIG EAST championship and I think that's reflective in the 2012 schedule," Salmon said. "Playing talented teams like N.C. State, Nebraska, Colorado and UC Irvine in the nonconference will get us ready to take on the likes of Notre Dame, Marquette and Louisville in the BIG EAST and we welcome that challenge."
Cincinnati will open the season with a pair of matches in North Carolina; at Elon Aug. 17 and at N.C. State Aug. 19.
The Bearcats will begin the home portion of their schedule with three consecutive matches at Gettler Stadium, where last season they finished 62nd in the NCAA Division I attendance rankings. The home opener will be on Aug. 26 against Northeastern, followed by Eastern Kentucky (Aug. 31) and Big Ten Conference foe Nebraska (Sept. 2).
UC will travel to the Mile High City to play in the University of Denver Invitational, where the Bearcats will face the Colorado Buffaloes of the Pac-12 on Sept. 7, followed by a Sept. 9 matchup versus 2011 NCAA participant UC Irvine.
BIG EAST Conference play for the Bearcats will open with a home-and-away weekend vs. DePaul (Sept. 14), followed by a road match at Notre Dame (Sept. 16).
UC will then alternate home and road conference weekends to close out the regular season. Road matches at South Florida (Sept. 28) and at Marquette (Sept. 30), which ended 2011 ranked No. 16 nationally, are sandwiched between home matches against St. John's (Sept. 21), Syracuse (Sept. 23), Georgetown (Oct. 5) and Villanova (Oct. 7).
The Bearcats will end the regular season by playing three consecutive road matches; at Seton Hall (Oct. 12), at Rutgers (Oct. 14), followed by their annual rivalry date against Louisville (Oct. 19), which placed No. 24 in the final 2011 NCAA rankings.
The BIG EAST Championship tournament begins Oct. 26 with higher seeds hosting the first and second rounds. The semifinals and final of the tournament will be Nov. 4 and Nov. 6 in Storrs, Conn.