By: by Matthew Farhadi
2011 Schedule
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State women’s soccer team’s 2011 schedule will feature four matches against team’s that finished in the top-100 in the 2010 NCAA RPI Rankings, and nine home matches at KSU Soccer Stadium, head coach
Rob King announced Thursday.
The Owls are coming of an 8-8-3 season in 2010, and reached the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship semifinals where it lost to Jacksonville. The Black and Gold return eight players who started 10 or more matches a season ago, and they will also return 92 percent of their scoring.
“We're looking forward to a great 2011 season and feel that we have a point to prove, following what for our standards was a disappointing 2010 season,” coach King said. “We have strong leadership in our returning seniors, and a terrific incoming class. We open up 2011 with early tests against two SEC schools, in Alabama and Auburn. We then have a run of seven home games in a one-month span, including continuing rivalries with the College of Charleston, Samford and UAB. Four of our first six A-Sun matches are at home, so we expect an excellent start to conference play. If we achieve our early season goals it sets up for a great end to the season when we go on the road to Mercer, ETSU and USC Upstate. Including our two preseason matches, we'll have 11 matches in our stadium this fall and we look forward to great support from our fans.”
Kennesaw State opens the 2011 regular season at SEC power Alabama on Aug. 19 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. KSU is 1-0 all-time against the Crimson Tide as it won their only matchup, 3-2, on Sept. 7, 2007.
The Owls open their 2011 home schedule on Aug. 26 when they host the College of Charleston. KSU defeated the Cougars, 4-3, in last year’s regular season opener.
The Black and Gold then take on arguably their toughest opponent of their 2011 season as they travel to Auburn, Ala. to take on the defending SEC West Champion Auburn Tigers on Aug. 28. The Tigers are one of two Owls opponents that played in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
Kennesaw State will then get into the thick of their home schedule which includes a six-match home stand ranging from Sept. 2 to Sept. 25. During this time it will face key non-conference matchups against Samford on Sept. 2 and UAB on Sept. 11. The Owls will also go out of division during this stretch as they welcome Division II opponents Clayton State on Sept. 3 and the University of West Florida, who finished last season ranked 19th in Division II, on Sept. 18. Lastly, during this six-match home stand the Black and Gold open its A-Sun schedule as they host Belmont, in a rematch of the 2009 A-Sun Final, on Sept. 23 and Lipscomb on Sept. 25.
A-Sun play peaks when Kennesaw State makes two road trips late in the season that will feature matches against Jacksonville, who ended KSU’s season last year, on Sept. 30, and Mercer, who is the defending A-Sun Champions, on Oct. 14.
The A-Sun Championship is scheduled for Oct. 29 – Nov. 6 with the first round at the higher seed, and the semifinals and finals at the home site of the overall No. 1 seed.
The full 2011 schedule is attached in PDF format. Times listed are local and subject to change.
