North Carolina State University Athletics
Women's Soccer Announces Challenging 2012 Schedule
5/3/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
May 3, 2012
2012 Schedule
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State fourth-year head coach Steve Springthorpe announced Thursday the 2012 Wolfpack women's soccer schedule.
The slate will undoubtably stack up with anyone in the country in terms of the quality of the opponents that have been assembled. 13 clubs that played in the NCAA Tournament last year will prepare the club nicely for the rigors of the Atlantic Coast Conference and postseason play.
"The 2012 schedule is the toughest one that we have played in a number of years here at State," said Springthorpe. With 13 out of 19 teams coming off a NCAA tournament appearance in 2011 it will be a fantastic challenge for us.
"After last seasons disappointment of not being selected for the NCAA tournament we looked at what could be done to better our case when being considered for an at-large bid."
The Wolfpack will play four clubs in the non-conference season that appeared in the NCAA Tournament, and nine more from the ACC.
NC State opens on the road for the first time since 2005 at Old Dominion on Friday, Aug. 17 in Norfolk, Va., at 7 p.m.
After a home date against Cincinnati on Sunday, Aug. 19, the Wolfpack will visit its first two NCAA clubs from last season in the likes of Texas on Friday, Aug. 24 in Austin, and then two days later take on LSU in Baton Rouge, La.
State clipped LSU, 1-0, last season in Raleigh, and the Longhorns escaped in the 2010 opener, 2-1, over the Pack at Dail Soccer Field.
The non-league portion of the schedule continues with three home games against the Southern Conference: The Citadel (Aug. 31), Elon (9/2) and Appalachian State (9/7).
The Wolfpack will then play at Kansas on September 9, and host Boston University on September 20 to round out the non-conference foes. Both clubs earned spots in the NCAA field last fall.
"Increasing the overall out of conference strength of schedule was something that we needed to do," added Springthorpe. "I'm confident that we have the schedule that will challenge us early in the season and prepare us for the ACC schedule."
NC State opens ACC play with road games at Virginia on Thursday, Sept. 13 and at Virginia Tech on Sunday, Sept. 16.
The club will then host a stretch of five-straight games at the friendly confines of Dail Soccer Field. The game with Boston University opens the run, and continues with matches against Miami (Sept. 27), Florida State (Sept. 30), Maryland (Oct. 7) and Duke (Oct. 11).
The Pack then hits the road for games against Boston College (Oct. 14), Wake Forest (Oct. 18) and Clemson (Oct. 21).
The regular-season slate wraps up with a home match against North Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 25.
State will also play a home exhibition against William & Mary on Saturday, Aug. 11 at 2 p.m.
The ACC Championship begins Oct. 28 with quarterfinal games at designated home sites, while the semifinals and finals will be Nov. 2 and 4 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
