Seattle University head men's soccer coach Pete Fewing has announced the team's 2012 schedule, which includes four matches against teams that participated in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
"It is a good schedule. The first two home games against two very good teams should be a lot of fun," Fewing said. "I think the non-conference schedule will challenge us. The road schedule will help us adapt to certain situations. Playing in the UW Tournament will be fun. Our league is a very good league, the best on the West Coast as far as sending teams to the postseason. We are looking towards qualifying for the conference tournament and then seeing how far we can advance."
After hosting British Columbia in an exhibition match Saturday, Aug. 18, the Redhawks open the regular season Friday, Aug. 24, against Cal Poly at 5 p.m. at Championship Field. Seattle U will then head across the state to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs Sunday, Aug. 26, at 3 p.m.
Seattle U will continue a three-game road swing Wednesday, Sept. 5, against former conference rival Sacramento State, followed by a match at Nebraska Omaha Sunday, Sept. 9. The team will have a week to prepare for UC Santa Barbara, an NCAA Tournament participant last season, with that match taking place Sunday, Sept. 16, at 3 p.m. at Championship Field.
The Redhawks will participate in the Husky Soccer Classic, first facing the University of Portland Friday, Sept. 21, at 4:30 p.m. On Sunday, Sept. 23, at 12 noon, Seattle U and Washington will renew the crosstown rivalry at Husky Soccer Field.
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) part of the schedule begins Sunday, Sept. 30, when Seattle U hosts San Jose State at Championship Field beginning at 1 p.m. The Redhawks hit the road the following weekend for matches at UNLV (Oct. 5) and at 2011 NCAA Tournament team CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 7), with rematches against those two teams at Championship Field Friday, Oct. 12 (UNLV) and Sunday, Oct. 14 (CSUB).
Seattle U heads to Colorado for matches at Air Force (Oct. 19) and at Denver (Oct. 21) before returning to Championship Field for two doubleheaders with the women's soccer team. The Oct. 26 match against Houston Baptist will be the first contest of that day's doubleheader, starting at 12:30 p.m., while the match against defending conference champion New Mexico Oct. 28 will be the second contest of the day at 2:30 p.m.
The 2012 regular season concludes with a rematch between Seattle U and San Jose State in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 3. The top six teams in the MPSF will head to the postseason tournament Nov. 8-11 in Albuquerque, N.M., with the winner of the tournament receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
