George Washington University Athletics
Women's Soccer Announces 2018 Schedule
6/19/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
2018 Schedule
WASHINGTON - The George Washington women's soccer team will host 10 opponents and face eight more on the road during an 18-match schedule this fall, first-year head coach Michelle Demko announced on Tuesday.
The Colonials look to contend for the conference crown after reaching the Atlantic 10 Championship for the fifth consecutive season with the help of a strong schedule that features a pair of top-25 opponents.
"The 2018 schedule is an exciting opportunity for our team to compete weekly against nationally respected programs," said Demko. " Being a new staff and having 10 games at The Vern, I'm looking forward to having our campus and community involved in creating a home-field environment that provides our players enthusiastic energy."
GW opens its 2018 campaign on Aug. 16 by welcoming Pacific University to the GW Soccer Field on the Mount Vernon Campus for a 5 p.m. kickoff.
The Colonials will then head to Liberty University to face the Flames on Aug. 19 at 1 p.m. before opening a three-match homestand on the Vern against Delaware (August 23, 5 p.m.), followed by a mid-day matchup with Stetson (August 26, 1 p.m.). The Buff and Blue will close their three-match home stint against local foe and defending Big East regular season and tournament champion Georgetown on Aug. 30 at 5 p.m.
GW will open play in September with its second straight top-25 opponent, traveling to Raleigh, North Carolina, to face N.C. State on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. The Colonials will then make the short trip up to Maryland to face the Terps on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. before closing out their non-conference slate at home against James Madison on Sept. 16 at 3 p.m.
"The challenging non-conference schedule will demand a competitive mentality as well as a 90-minute intentional focus with each opponent," said Demko. "Both areas will be needed to replicate maximum efforts game-in and game-out to meet our program's expectations consistently. This type of environment will prepare our team for the competitive rigor we will experience in the A-10 conference games. Playing opponents like N.C. State, Maryland, Georgetown and James Madison will call upon our desire to compete and win at a high level. We must get accustomed to any field, location and environment in order to consistently perform at a level that reflects the goals for this program. The idea is to challenge this group early, so our staff can see where we need to be sharper while understanding how we respond to different circumstances."
The Colonials kick off Atlantic 10 Conference play on Sept. 20 by welcoming Rhode Island to the GW Soccer Field for a 4:30 p.m. bout before hitting the road to face Fordham in the Bronx on Sept. 23 at 1 p.m.
The Buff and Blue will also host George Mason (Sept. 27, 4:30 p.m.), Richmond (Oct. 7, 1 p.m.), Dayton (Oct. 14, 1 p.m.) and Davidson (Oct. 18, 3p.m.), and will travel to St. Bonaventure (Sept. 30, 1 p.m.), Duquesne (Oct. 4, 7 p.m.), Saint Joseph's (Oct. 11, 7 p.m.) and St. Louis (Oct. 21, 2 p.m.).
Postseason play for the Atlantic 10 kicks off on Oct. 27 with quarterfinal matchups at home sites. The A-10 semifinals and finals will be played in Dayton, Ohio on Nov. 2 and 4.
"We will certainly have to be organized as quickly as possible once we come together back in early August," said Demko. "Our first test will be an exhibition match against Loyola seven days into pre-season, followed by another exhibition game against American five days later. Opening weekend will be full of excitement for players and staff. I am looking forward to a season where we invest in each other and the process."
