Carrollton, GA – With the 2010 soccer season a little over a month away, the West Georgia Wolves now know what they will be up against in the coming year, as UWG head coach Marisa Kovacs recently released the 18-match 2010 schedule.
“Our schedule is going to be tough from start to finish,” Kovacs said. “But it will only prepare us for our main goal of making the NCAA tournament.”
The Wolves fell short of making the Gulf South Conference tournament a year ago after a season that featured a tough schedule and an array of injuries ended with a 4-11-1 record. In 2009, seven of the UWG opponents were ranked in the Division II top 25.
“Just because we are coming off a rough year does not mean we are going to take it easy this season,” said Kovacs. “Our goal has always been to win our conference and make the NCAA tournament, therefore we have to play teams that have had that type of success.”
The season begins with a preseason exhibition match at home against Division III power Emory on August 22 at 7 p.m. The official season opener will be on September 3 and 5, facing two of the toughest
programs in the nation in Tampa and Columbus State in the annual Columbus State Invitational.
The Wolves follow that trip up with three of the next four games at home. The home opener against Newberry on September 11 at 7 p.m. kicks off that stretch, followed by a road match at Brewton Parker on September 14. On the weekend of September 17 and 19, UWG will host a tough weekend with South Atlantic Conference opponents Carson-Newman and Tusculum.
As September comes to a close, the Wolves will take a three-game trip through the Peach Belt Conference, facing off with Clayton State and
Georgia College & State on the road on September 22 and 25, followed by Montevallo at home on September 28.
The beginning of October will coincide this year with the beginning of the GSC season, as the Wolves host Delta State and Alabama-Huntsville on October 1 and 3 as a part of Parents’ Weekend at UWG. The following weekend, West Georgia will host Ouachita Baptist on October 8, followed by a tough trip to Florence, Ala., and the North Alabama Lions on October 10.
Following a five-day hiatus, the Wolves host a non-conference battle with Reinhardt before taking a trip to Searcy, Ark., to take on the Harding Bison. October 22 will be the Wolves’ final home battle of the season as UWG will host Lambuth for
Senior Day before heading south to Pensacola, Fla., to take on the GSC perennial power West Florida. The regular season concludes on October 30 with a visit to Christian Brothers.
This year’s schedule features six teams that reached the NCAA tournament in 2009, led by West Florida, which fell to national runner-up Cal. State-Dominguez Hills in the national semifinals. UWF was tough on other UWG opponents in their run to the semis, beating North Alabama in the second round and Carson-Newman in the national quarterfinals.
Carson-Newman blazed a trail through the NCAA tournament last year against teams the Wolves will face this season, beating Tusculum in the second round and Columbus State in the round of 16. Tusculum completes the circle, beating Newberry in the first round of the tourney.
“We have one of the strongest conferences in the nation from top to bottom and if we want to be prepared for the GSC schedule, we must have a strong non-conference schedule,” Kovacs said. “We are making strides to where we need to be and I think this schedule is well-balanced and will showcase what we are capable of this year.”
The 2010 Wolves report to Carrollton for preseason camp in less than a month, with the preseason opener a little more than a month away.
