The 2013 women’s soccer regular season gets underway on Friday night as all eight Horizon League women’s soccer programs will be in action.
Weekend Schedule:
Friday, August 23
5:00 - Oakland at Eastern Illinois
5:00 - Detroit at Eastern Michigan
5:30 - Wright State at IPFW
7:00 - Canisius at Cleveland State | HLN
7:00 - Youngstown State at Niagara
7:00 - Green Bay at IUPUI
7:30 - Milwaukee at Michigan
8:30 - DePaul at Valparaiso
Sunday, August 25
1:00 – Youngstown State at Canisius
1:00 – Green Bay at Ball State
1:00 – Wright State at Ohio
1:00 – Bowling Green at Cleveland State | HLN
1:00 – Milwaukee at Michigan State
2:00 – Miami (Ohio) at Valparaiso
2:00 – Oakland at Michigan
5:00 – Detroit at Central Michigan
Preseason Horizon League favorite, Detroit, begins action on Friday night at Eastern Michigan. The Titans have three seniors including 2012 Horizon League Offensive Player of the Year and All-Horizon League First Team member Kaitlyn Quarrell and 2012 All-Horizon League Second Teamer Abby McCollum. Other Horizon League award winners returning this season will be junior midfielder Alyssa Riley, who also took home All-Horizon League First Team honors in 2012, and sophomore defender Heather Brown who made the All-Newcomer team her freshman season.
Wright State, which finished second in the preseason coaches’ begins the 2013 season with road matches at IPFW on Friday and at Ohio on Sunday. The Raiders advanced to the championship match in the Horizon League tournament last season, before falling to UWM 1-0 in double overtime. Wright State returns to Second-Team selections from a year ago in junior Allie Metzler and senior Brooke McCurdy.Milwaukee, third in the preseason poll, looks for its 14th-consecutive Horizon League Championship this year and sixth-straight berth to the NCAA Championships as it begins the 2013 campaign at a pair of Big Ten schools. The Panthers will take on No. 19 Michigan Friday evening before heading to East Lansing for a 12 p.m. match with Michigan State.
Oakland, preparing for its first season in the Horizon League, opens the season with a road contest at Eastern Illinois on Friday and then stay on the road, taking on #19 Michigan on Sunday. The Golden Grizzlies return seven starters and 21 letterwinners overall from last year’s squad that went 11-6-4 and won the regular season crown in the Summit League. Kyla Kellermann, the 2012 Summit League Offensive Player of the Year, finished last season with nine goals and four assists.
The Valparaiso women’s soccer team opens the 2013 campaign this weekend with a pair of challenging home matches on Brown Field. The Crusaders host Big East foe DePaul on Friday evening before turning around Sunday afternoon and taking on a Miami (Ohio) squad which is receiving votes in the national polling.
Youngstown State, coming off the best season in school history, and with 17 letterwinners and eight starters returning from that 2012 squad, open the 2013 campaign at Niagara on Friday and then play at Canisius on Sunday. The Penguins recorded a school-record eight wins overall and three in Horizon League play to finish fourth in the league. The Penguins also hosted a first-round game of the Horizon League Championship for the first time in school history.
The Green Bay women’s soccer team is opening the season in the Hoosier State as the Phoenix play at IUPUI on Friday and at Ball State on Sunday. Last season, Green Bay went 5-11-1 overall and 2-4-1 in the Horizon League, just missing the conference tournament. Two players received all-conference honors, including returnee Sydney Born, who was named to the All-Newcomer Team.
Cleveland State will open its 10th season of having a program with two home matches at Krenzler Field. The season opener is on Friday against Canisius. The Vikings then host Bowling Green on Sunday.
