The Simon Fraser University men's soccer team will look to defend their back-to-back Great Northwest Athletic Conference titles in 2012, playing a schedule that includes several matches against teams that were ranked in the regional top-10 polls during the 2011 season, and three teams that have previously won NCAA, NAIA or Canadian national championships.
Fifth-year head coach Alan Koch led the Clan to an 18-0-1 mark last season and the 2012 version of the Clan will return many key players, as the team lost just four athletes to graduation from last season's team.
SFU begins the campaign with a pair of mid-August exhibitions against Division I schools - the University of Washington and Oregon State.
The regular season kicks off at Terry Fox Field on Burnaby Mountain on Aug. 31, as the Clan open non-conference play against Thompson Rivers University.
Two days later, the Clan continue the non-conference portion of the schedule when they host Vancouver Island University, before rounding out their non-conference action with Azusa Pacific and Hawaii Pacific, two in-region opponents.
Azusa Pacific is the newest member to the NCAA West region and are going into their provisional year in their NCAA transition. The last three meetings between the Clan and Azusa Pacific have been one-goal games.
This year's match will be played on Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Terry Fox Field and two days later, the Clan host Hawaii Pacific, also at 7:30 p.m.
Both the Clan and Hawaii Pacific were in the NCAA Div. II top-25 national rankings last year.
"I am really excited to have a few home matches to prepare us for GNAC play," said head coach Alan Koch in a Clan press release. "It will be great to play one of our traditional NAIA rivals now in the NCAA in Azusa Pacific, and also continue our intense rivalry with Hawaii Pacific. Both of these teams will compete to win the Pac West Conference this season"
The Clan's Great Northwest conference schedule begins on Sept. 13, at home, against the Montana State University-Billings Yellowjackets before welcoming Northwest Nazarene University on Sept. 15.
Last season, the Clan won both conference meetings against MSUB and NNU.
Five days later, the Clan embarks on their first road trip as they travel to the University of Sioux Falls and University of Mary. Both schools are new members to the GNAC.
"It is exciting to add both Mary and Sioux Falls to the conference. The added travel will make these matches difficult, but we look forward to the challenges that await us. Their addition to the conference adds to the diversity of our league and provides us with a truly regional conference," continued Koch.
The Clan return home on Sept. 27 with a conference game against their rivals from Seattle Pacific University. SPU finished second last year in the GNAC and also made it to the sweet 16 in the NCAA national Tournament.
Three days later, the Clan play host to Saint Martin's University on Oct. 6 before their first "Border Battle" of the 2012 campaign against Western Washington University.
Four out of the remaining six games in October will find the Clan on the road as SFU travels to Idaho and Montana before a pair of games in Washington.
The home schedule concludes on Nov. 4 when SFU hosts Western Washington at Terry Fox Field for an afternoon matchup.
"This season promises to be another exciting year. All the teams in our conference continue to get better every year and this was evident by Seattle Pacific's run to the Sweet 16, and the number of close battles that we had last year with all of our conference opponents. We realize that we will have a target on our back, but look forward to the challenge of defending our conference title," finished Koch.
All SFU men's soccer home games are played at Terry Fox Field on Burnaby Mountain and admission is free.
2012 SFU Men's Soccer Schedule:
Thursday, August 16 @ University of Washington Seattle, WA 7:00 p.m. ***EXHIBITION
Saturday, August 18 @ University of Oregon Corvalis, WA 1:00 p.m. ***EXHIBITION
Saturday, August 25 vs. Capilano University Terry Fox Field 7:30 p.m. ***EXHIBITION
Friday, August 30 vs. Thompson Rivers Terry Fox Field 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 2 vs. Vancouver Island Terry Fox Field 3:00 p.m.
Friday, September 7 vs. Azusa Pacific Terry Fox Field 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 9 vs. Hawaii Pacific Terry Fox Field 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 13 vs. Montana State-Billings Terry Fox Field 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 15 vs. Northwest Nazarene Terry Fox Field 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 20 @ University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, SD 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 22 @ University of Mary Bismark, ND 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 27 vs. Seattle Pacific Terry Fox Field 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 30 vs. Saint Martin's Terry Fox Field 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 6 @ Western Washington Bellingham, WA 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 11 vs. University of Mary Terry Fox Field 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 13 vs. University of Sioux Falls Terry Fox Field 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 18 @ Northwest Nazarene Nampa, ID 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 20 @ Montana State-Billings Billings, MT 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 25 @ Saint Martin's Lacey, WA 2:45 p.m.
Saturday, October 27 @ Seattle Pacific Seattle, WA 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 4 vs. Western Washington Terry Fox Field 3:00 p.m.
