June 20, 2012
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IOWA CITY — Head coach Ron Rainey and the University of Iowa women’s soccer team announced its 2012 schedule Wednesday. Iowa, coming off its best season in program history after setting or tying nine school records in 2011, will play 20 matches this fall.
The Hawkeyes will showcase their talents in Iowa City for 10 matches at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Iowa will face five teams that qualified to the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
“We’re excited about the 2012 schedule,” said Rainey, who will be entering his seventh year at the helm of the program. “It’s 20 games this year and we do not have a scrimmage, so we will have to work hard in preseason to prepare for our opener. I feel the mix of opponents in the pre-conference portion of our schedule will challenge us and give us confidence as we prepare for Big Ten opponents.” Iowa opens the season with a three-game homestand beginning with Eastern Illinois on Aug. 17. North Dakota comes to Iowa City on Aug. 19, while Loyola University Chicago will be in Iowa City on Aug. 24.
The Hawkeyes will look to take the state title for the fifth straight season, traveling to rivals Northern Iowa (Aug. 26) and to Iowa State (Aug. 31).
Iowa hosts Valparaiso (Sept. 2) before traveling to the East Coast for the Black Knight Classic hosted by Army at West Point, N.Y. The Hawkeyes will meet NCAA Tournament qualifiers Army and LIU-Brooklyn on Sept. 7 and Sept. 9. Iowa finishes non-conference action Sept. 12, traveling to take on the Billikens of Saint Louis.
Conference action begins on Sept. 16 as Iowa faces Illinois, the Big Ten Tournament champion, in Champaign, Ill. The Hawkeyes will play six home Big Ten matches and will conclude the regular season by hosting Wisconsin on Oct. 27.