June 18, 2009

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin soccer coach George Van Linder announced Thursday his team's 2009 schedule. The slate features eight home contests and six games against opponents that finished the 2008 season with RPI rankings among the nation's top 120. Among the field are four first-time opponents, including 2008 NCAA Tournament participant Washington State.

SFA opens the season on Aug. 23 with a road game against Louisiana-Lafayette. The meeting will be the first ever between the Ladyjacks and Ragin' Cajuns. The following weekend, SFA will play two games in the UTEP Miner Classic, taking on UTEP on Friday, Aug. 28, then squaring off with first-time opponent Utah State on Sunday. The Miners went 13-7-1 and finished fourth in Conference USA with a 6-4-1 record last season. Utah State is coming off a 13-8-1 campaign that saw the Aggies win the Western Athletic Conference title with a 7-0-0 mark.

The Ladyjacks kick off the month of September with their first home game. SFA hosts Rice on Friday, Sept. 4. The Owls went 10-9-0 overall in 2008 and posted a 6-5-0 record in C-USA play. Rice ended the year at No. 80 in the RPI rankings.

The following Friday, SFA will travel to Springfield, Mo., for its first meeting with Missouri State. The Bears went 10-7-2 a year ago. Two days after that match, the Ladyjacks will meet Arkansas in a road game. The clash with the Razorbacks will mark the teams' first meeting since the initial one in 1996. Arkansas posted an 11-8-0 record last season.

On Friday, Sept. 18, SFA opens a weekend home stand with a game against Houston. Two days later, the Ladyjacks welcome Washington State to Nacogdoches for the first game between the two teams. The Cougars went 10-6-5 last season and qualified for the NCAA Tournament after spending much of the year ranked in the Top 25. Washington State's season-ending RPI rating of 42 is the best on SFA's 2009 schedule.

The Ladyjacks wrap up their non-conference slate with a road game against TCU on Friday, Sept. 25. The Horned Frogs were 14-4-2 a year ago and ended the season with an RPI of 59.

SFA begins Southland Conference play with a two-game road swing against Lamar and McNeese State on Friday, Oct. 2, and Sunday, Oct. 4, respectively. The Ladyjacks will follow that with their longest home stand of the year. SFA hosts Nicholls State, Southeastern Louisiana and Sam Houston State in consecutive matches starting Friday, Oct. 9 and ending Friday, Oct. 16.

SFA will have a Sunday off following its game against Sam Houston, then will face 2008 SLC Champion and NCAA Tournament participant Texas State on the road Friday, Oct. 23. The Bobcats went 13-4-4 on the year with a 7-0-2 record in league play on the way to their conference title.

The Ladyjacks meet UTSA on the road the Sunday following their Texas State game, then wrap up the season with a two-game home stand. SFA hosts Northwestern State on Friday, Oct. 30, then entertains Central Arkansas on Nov. 1 in the season finale.

The Southland Conference Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 5-8 in Natchitoches, La., home of Northwestern State.

2009 SFA Soccer Schedule

-- SFA --