ROCHESTER, Mich. - Head Coach Eric Pogue announced the 2021 Oakland men's soccer schedule which includes eight home matches highlighted by the home opener against in-state rival Michigan (Aug. 29) at the Oakland Soccer Field followed by showdowns against three conference champions in Dayton (Atlantic 10 – Sept. 14), Bowling Green (Mid-American – Oct. 26) and Milwaukee (Horizon League – Oct. 30) on Senior Day.
 
"This will be a very demanding and competitive Fall schedule for our men with four conference champions in Dayton, Bowling Green, Milwaukee at home and Northern Kentucky on the road," said Pogue. "We also play perennial powers Michigan, Michigan State, Louisville, Western Michigan, and Butler which should all be formidable opponents that will let us know where we stand regionally and nationally in preparation for the always difficult Horizon League slate of games."
 
"We talk of having some unfinished business to make amends for the way the spring season ended so suddenly and unexpectedly for us," added Pogue. "With almost our entire 2021 team returning and another top national recruiting class coming on campus, this schedule could give us two ways to make the NCAA Tournament by either winning the league tournament or as an at-large bid if and when we are successful in our non-conference schedule."
 
Oakland opens the season with a pair of home exhibition games against Lawrence Tech (Aug. 15) and Davenport (Aug. 20) followed by the regular season opener at Butler (Aug. 26), home opener against Michigan and at Michigan State (Sept. 3). The Golden Grizzlies welcome IPFW (Sept. 11) for the Horizon League opener followed by Dayton and UIC (Sept. 25).
 
Oakland then plays four out of five matches on the road starting with DePaul (Sept. 18), Robert Morris (Sept. 29), the annual Metro Series match at arch-rival Detroit Mercy (Oct. 2) in which the Golden Grizzlies are 5-0-2 against the Titans since the inception of the Metro Series in 2014, and at Western Michigan (Oct. 6).
 
Oakland hosts Cleveland State (Oct. 9) for Homecoming followed by Green Bay (Oct. 13) and hits the road for three straight matches at Wright State (Oct. 16), Louisville (Oct. 19) and IUPUI (Oct. 23).
 
The Golden Grizzlies close out the home slate against Bowling Green and Milwaukee and conclude the regular season at defending Horizon League regular season champion Northern Kentucky (Nov. 3).
 
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