Men’s Soccer Fills Out 2025 Slate of Opponents
Quakers’ season comes into vision with battle-tested youth, transfers
from Bryce Johnson, Director of Athletic Communications at Guilford College
GREENSBORO, N.C. – With a new, yet familiar, leader of the program as head coach, the Guilford College Men’s Soccer team enters the new campaign with lots of fresh faces to go with the returning ones, and they hope it will result in a return to the postseason as they released their 2025 schedule on Wednesday morning.
The Quakers could not quite get traction posting a 3-12-1 mark last fall, claiming just one point in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play at 0-9-1, but it was somewhat expected with a youthful roster. Now, that young core has some collegiate time under their belts, and with a bevy of transfers coming in to try and supplement the returning nucleus, there is plenty of reason for optimism.
“As we head into the 2025 season, I am encouraged by the strength and potential of our incoming recruiting class. We have brought in a group of student-athletes who are not only talented, but committed to the hard work required to move this program forward,” Interim Head Coach Will Thomsen said. “Their arrival marks an important step in our continued growth. As for the schedule, we are aware that the road ahead will not be easy. The ODAC is one of the most competitive conferences in NCAA Division III, and every game will demand our absolute best. We are focused on building a team culture centered on accountability, discipline, and daily improvement—because that is what it will take to compete and succeed in our fall 2025 season, and if we execute in those areas, I think we can have a very strong year.”
Guilford booked a tandem of scrimmages as they ramp-up throughout the preseason. First, they will make the trip over to Winston-Salem for an exhibition opposite Carolina University on Tuesday, August 19th at 7:00 PM. They follow that up with a tune-up contest against Division-II Shaw University at the Armfield Athletic Center for the second-straight year with kickoff at 7:00 PM.
GC opens the fresh campaign on their home turf this year, battling it out against Pfeiffer University in their season-opener for the fifth-straight year. Set to compete on Friday, August 29th at 4:00 PM here in Greensboro, Guilford hopes for better fortune from Mother Nature after last season’s contest in Misenheimer was ended prematurely due to weather, and as a result they are still seeking their first win against the Falcons in the Division-III era.
Having waited around 7,368 hours from their previous regular season game until their season-opener, the Quakers wait will be a bit shorter as just over 24 hours later, they hit the road for an encounter with Methodist University on Saturday, August 30th at 7:00 PM. A historically troublesome opponent for the cardinal and grey, the Monarchs hold a 13-3-1 edge in the all-time series.
A battle with Bluefield University for the second-straight year ensues with the NAIA Rams making the trip down from Virginia on Wednesday, September 3rd for a 4:00 PM clash. It was Guilford who seized 4-1 victory in the first-ever contest between the two programs last fall.
That leads into rivalry weekend as the men’s soccer squad serves as the early game opposite crosstown rival, Greensboro College on Saturday, September 6th at 1:00 PM. The middle game of the three between in-city foes, with volleyball clashing on Friday and football playing the 24th Annual Soup Bowl later on Saturday evening, the men’s soccer clash is the only contest of the three to be played on the road with the Quakers eying their fourth-straight advantageous result, holding a 3-0-1 edge over the Pride since 2021.
Another in-state road contest will follow as Guilford visits William Peace University in Raleigh on Tuesday, September 9th at 6:00 PM. Standing at 1-4-2 in the all-time series, last year’s Pacer victory was their second-straight following a tandem of break-even results in the two matchups prior.
GC concludes the longest stretch of road contests that they have on their 2025 slate with a third-straight encounter opposite a USA South foe when they play the Fighting Squirrels of Mary Baldwin University on Saturday, September 13th at 3:30 PM. Trouncing MBU by a 5-0 score in their lone previous matchup in 2022, the Quakers will look to build momentum ahead of a homestand that escalates into conference play.
Upon their return to the Gate City, Guilford will welcome Johnson & Wales University (N.C.) to the Division-III ranks as the Wildcats begin their first year of Division-III Provisional Membership, competing in the Coast-to-Coast Conference. Their first matchup as NCAA opponents, will also be their first regular season matchup of all-time and will take place on Friday, September 19th at 7:00 PM.
In what will be their final tune-up before ODAC action, GC plays host to The University of the South on Sunday, September 21st for a late morning match kicking off at 11:00 AM. Sewanee holds the 3-2-0 edge in the past, but the Quakers took the last encounter back in 2020 against the Tigers.
As Guilford closes the month of September, they open ODAC play with Virginia Wesleyan University coming to town on Saturday, September 27th at 6:00 PM. The Marlins rolled GC last fall by a 5-0 score, but the last time these adversaries played in Greensboro, back in 2023, VWU required a 68th minute score to outlast the Quakers.
Bridgewater College closes out the GC homestand when October soccer begins on Wednesday, October 1st at 7:00 PM. Another foe that Guilford fell to by multiple scores in 2024, but fought well in 2023, playing to a 1-1 draw at Appenzeller Field, the cardinal and grey’s 16 wins over the Eagles, are more than any other active Division-III opponent now following Emory & Henry and, more recently, Ferrum’s move to Division-II over the past handful of years.
The Quakers hit the road for the first time in ODAC play on Saturday, October 4th as they visit Hampden-Sydney College starting at 7:00 PM. After trying to play each other for the first time since 2019 in a non-conference capacity last season, but instead seeing their contest cancelled due to weather, the league rivals will try again this season in the latest edition of a head-to-head history that has never seen a draw, with the Tigers holding a 22-11-0 edge all-time and holding the distinction as the lone conference foe without a breakeven result all-time.
In their final out-of-league contest scheduled, GC heads just over the state border to play Southern Virginia University on Wednesday, October 8th at 4:00 PM. Guilford has never lost in five encounters with the Knights previously, going 4-0-1, and this will be just the second matchup between these foes since 2005, with the last coming back in 2018.
ODAC play the rest of the way first sees Randolph-Macon College visit the GSO on Saturday, October 11th for a 6:00 PM match. Whittling away at the margin on the scoreboard over the last four seasons since Guilford’s last win over the Yellow Jackets back in the 2021 spring season, R-MC required a 66th minute tally to escape with a win over the Quakers last fall in Ashland.
Another home contest ensues as the cardinal and grey welcome their nearest ODAC rival, Averett University, to town on Wednesday, October 15th at 7:00 PM. While much of their history is from the Cougars’ tenure in the USA South, AU is one-of-two active ODAC teams against whom Guilford maintains a winning record, standing at 12-9-1.
The Quakers head to Lexington next to play the reigning ODAC Champions from Washington & Lee University on Saturday, October 18th at 1:00 PM. The perennial powerhouse Generals are actually the last team GC has an outright conference win against back in 2023 when they upset W&L to claim an ODAC Tournament berth.
Another road trip follows for Guilford as on Wednesday, October 22nd, they head up north to play Randolph College starting at 7:00 PM. A brutal matchup historically, the WildCats are 15-2-1 over GC all-time having won the last seven encounters.
It will be a Senior Day Saturday on October 25th, as the Quakers host Eastern Mennonite University beginning at 1:00 PM. Traditionally a very evenly-matched foe, the adversaries have split the last six matchups and have not seen a contest decided by more than three goals since 2017.
Wrapping up the regular season, GC heads north and will matchup with Roanoke College for a 7:00 PM clash on Wednesday, October 29th. The most frequent foe in program history, the Quakers will look for their first win over the Maroons since 2006.
If they were to earn a playoff berth, Guilford would open ODAC Tournament play on Saturday, November 1st with the subsequent rounds scheduled for Wednesday, November 5th and Saturday, November 8th, if they advanced.
Game times and dates are subject to change, check back on GuilfordQuakers.com to stay up to date on the latest on schedule information.
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