Elon Men’s Soccer Releases 2013 Schedule

ELON, N.C. – Coming off arguably its best season at the Division I level, the Elon University’s men’s soccer team will look forward to another exciting slate of matches this fall as Phoenix head coach Darren Powell announced the squad’s 2013 schedule on Tuesday, July 16.

The 18-match regular-season schedule includes contests against nine teams that finished among the top-100 RPI – including three in the top-25. Three of those opponents – Northeastern, Wake Forest and Coastal Carolina – joined Elon as participants in the 2012 NCAA Tournament last season.

“We are looking forward to playing a challenging schedule again this year,” said Powell. “We always look to test our players against some of the best opposition not only in North Carolina but the whole nation. We have to be prepared for every match as the quality of all our opponents is very good.”

After exhibition matches against in-state rival North Carolina on Aug. 17, at Bryan Field in Greensboro, N.C., and at South Carolina a week later on Aug. 24, the maroon and gold opens its regular-season campaign at the Duke Classic on Aug. 30-Sept. 1 in Durham, N.C. The Phoenix faces Northeastern, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, on Aug. 30, and Rutgers on Sept. 1 in the tournament.

The Phoenix will compete in its second early season tournament at the UNCW Classic on Sept. 6-8 in Wilmington, N.C. Elon faces Mercer on Friday, Sept. 6, before wrapping up the tournament with a match versus Presbyterian on Sunday, Sept. 8.

Following the UNCW Classic, Elon begins a four-match slate on its home pitch at Rudd Field with the first match against instate foe UNCW, on Sept. 14. The Phoenix will then welcome Wake Forest back to Elon on Sept. 17, after earning a 1-0 upset win over the then 13th-ranked Demon Deacons last season.

Elon concludes its homestand with a pair of matches against William & Mary, on Sept. 20, and Radford on Sept. 25. The Phoenix defeated the Tribe 2-1 in last year’s matchup and earned a 1-1 draw this past season against the Highlanders.

After a pair of road matches at High Point on Sept. 28, and Campbell on Oct. 1, the Phoenix gets its first taste of Southern Conference play with a home contest versus Appalachian State on Oct. 5. Elon was able to pull out a 1-0 victory at the Mountaineers last season.

“We hope that our non conference schedule will prepare us for the Southern Conference games,” added Powell. “Those matches are always intense and will amplified this year as there are only six games so points will be premium.”

On Oct. 12, the Phoenix treks to Spartanburg, S.C., to face Wofford in a rematch of the SoCon Tournament title game. Elon earned a 2-1 win over the Terriers in the championship match to clinch its second straight league tournament title.

After hosting Georgia Southern on Oct. 15, Elon is back on the road for its next three matches. The maroon and gold heads to Greenville, S.C., to take on Furman on Oct. 19, a year after defeating the then 22nd-ranked Paladins, 1-0, at Rudd Field. The Phoenix will take a step outside of league play and face Duke on Oct. 22, its second regular-season meeting versus an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent. The Phoenix and the Blue Devils battled to scoreless draw in last year’s regular-season finale. Elon closes out the road swing with a contest at Davidson on Oct. 26, the first meeting between the two schools since the Phoenix eliminated the Wildcats from the opening round of the SoCon Tournament last year, 2-1.

Elon closes out the regular-season at home with matches against Coastal Carolina (Oct. 29) and I-40 rival UNCG (Nov. 2). The Phoenix and the Chanticleers have faced each other in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons and four times overall.

Elon has taken the past two contests from its local rival UNCG, including last season’s 2-1 double overtime win in Greensboro that clinched the SoCon regular-season title for the Phoenix.

The Phoenix will look for its third straight SoCon tournament title when 2013 league championships begin on Nov. 9, at host sites before moving to Greenville, S.C., for the semifinals and championship match on Nov. 15-17.

Elon went 15-5-2 in 2012 and captured both the SoCon regular-season and tournament titles for the first time in school history. The team returned to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and went 4-1 against ranked competition while earning a spot in the national polls for the first time since 2006.

Elon Men’s Soccer Schedule
Aug. 17 – vs. North Carolina (exh.), 7 p.m. (Bryan Field/Greensboro, N.C.)
Aug. 24 – at South Carolina (exh.), 7 p.m.
Aug. 30 – vs. Northeastern, 7 p.m. (Duke Classic/Durham, N.C.)
Sept. 1 – vs. Rutgers, 12 p.m. (Duke Classic/Durham, N.C.)
Sept. 6 – vs. Mercer, 5 p.m. (UNCW Classic/Wilmington, N.C.)
Sept. 8 – vs. Presbyterian, 1 p.m. (UNCW Classic/Wilmington, N.C.)
Sept. 14 – UNCW, 7 p.m.
Sept. 17 – Wake Forest, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20 – William & Mary, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 25 – Radford, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 – at High Point, 7 p.m.
Oct. 1 – at Campbell, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 – Appalachian State*, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 – at Wofford*, 7 p.m.
Oct. 15 – Georgia Southern*, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 – at Furman*, 7 p.m.
Oct. 22 – at Duke, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 – at Davidson*, 7 p.m.
Oct. 29 – Coastal Carolina, 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 – UNCG*, 7 p.m.
Nov. 9 – SoCon Quarterfinals
Nov. 15-17 SoCon Semifinals/Finals (Greenville, S.C.)

* – Southern Conference match