May 22, 2014
2014 Schedule
ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland men's soccer team and head coach Eric Pogue released its 2014 schedule on Thursday, highlighted by home matches against Michigan State and Ohio State, while also hosting the Homecoming game against Incarnate Word. The schedule includes eight teams that finished the 2013 season ranked in the top-100 in RPI rankings.
"We are very excited about this 2014 Fall schedule, as assistant coach Stephen Gorton and I worked hard to put together a tough schedule full of top caliber teams," said Pogue. "The goal every year putting a schedule together is to give ourselves two ways to make the NCAA tournament. First, win your conference and conference tournament title that gives you an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, which is never an easy task in the Horizon League. Second, schedule the toughest out of conference slate you possibly can to help prepare you for the Horizon League conference tournament, as well as give ourselves a chance at an at-large NCAA Tournament bid, which we have done twice in school history.
"We are confident that this schedule accomplishes both these goals for our program and also brings some great games to Oakland this Fall including a home opener versus Conference USA foe Marshall, a Homecoming game vs. Incarnate Word, as well as two mid-week home night games versus Michigan State and Ohio State in addition to our four Horizon League home games," added Pogue.
The Golden Grizzlies will open their home schedule on Friday, Sept. 5 as they face Marshall at the OU Soccer Field. OU will also host Michigan State, who made it to the Elite Eight last season in the NCAA tournament, on Oct. 22 and Ohio State on Oct. 8. The men's soccer team will play the first Fall homecoming game this season against Incarnate Word on Sept. 20 starting at 7 p.m. Oakland begins Horizon League play at home facing defending regular-season champions UIC on Sept. 26, while also hosting Green Bay and Wright State in league play.
Oakland will once again play a grueling road schedule as they start its 2014 campaign at Penn State, ranked 12th in last year's RPI, on Aug. 29. OU will also face in-state foe Michigan (Oct. 29), West Virginia (Sept. 1), Denver (Sept. 12) and Air Force (Sept. 14). In the Horizon League, OU will travel to league champion Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland State and Valparaiso.
The Black and Gold will play three exhibition games in the preseason. They are home against Saginaw Valley State on Aug. 20 and on the road against SIU-Edwardsville (Aug. 15) and Western Michigan to be played at East Kentwood High School (Aug. 23). The game at Western Michigan is part of the David Warsen Memorial College Cup in honor of the former East Kentwood player and Navy Seal who died on duty.
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