Women’s Soccer Announces 2017 Schedule
4/27/2017 5:29:00 PM | Women's Soccer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana Women's Soccer announced its 2017 schedule on Thursday, highlighted by 10 games against 2016 NCAA Tournament participants. In addition, the Hoosiers will play 11 games against opponents who finished last season in the RPI Top 60, and six who were ranked or received votes in the final NSCAA Coaches Poll.
IU will play nine regular season games at Bill Armstrong Stadium, as well as an Aug. 11 exhibition contest against Cincinnati.
The non-conference portion of the schedule includes eight matchups, including three against 2016 NCAA Tournament teams and four versus RPI Top 60 squads. Indiana's Big Ten opposition includes two 2016 Big Ten Co-Champions in Northwestern and Minnesota, as well as seven meetings with 2016 NCAA Tournament teams.
"We use our non-conference games to prepare us for our vigorous Big Ten schedule," said head coach Amy Berbary. "We've put together a collection of schools from different conferences that will challenge us every time we step onto the field."
Indiana will return 21 players – including nine starters – from a 2016 roster that posted its best record since 2013 on the way to returning to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2013.
"Returning so many players will be helpful for us in terms of experience," said Berbary. "Last year, finishing in the middle of the Big Ten pack was a confidence booster for us. We are a very young team and have two outstanding seniors in Kayla Smith and Kylie Kirk that I will look to lead us throughout the season. As a whole, we have the talent and we're looking to improve on our standing in the Big Ten towards the end of the season."
Indiana will officially kick off the 2017 campaign by hosting its annual Hoosier Challenge Cup in a string of three straight home games. IU will face Cal Poly on Aug. 18 before hosting Clemson on Aug. 20. Cal Poly went 6-10-3 last season while Clemson finished 14-5-4. The Tigers ended the 2016 season ranked No. 12 in the final NSCAA Coaches Poll and No. 13 in RPI on the way to their second ACC Regular Season title and a Sweet Sixteen appearance.
The following weekend will see the Hoosiers host Louisville for the second straight season on Friday, Aug. 24. Indiana leads the series, 2-0-1, with last year's game resulting in a 1-1 draw. The Cardinals went 7-7-4 a season ago. On Sunday, the Hoosiers will head north to play Western Michigan, who posted a 13-7-1 record in 2016. The Broncos won last year's meeting in Bloomington, 2-0, but IU leads the overall series, 2-1-0.
IU's seven-game road trip continues the following week with a trip to Nashville, Tenn. to play in the Music City Tournament hosted by Vanderbilt. Indiana will face the Commodores on Friday night in just the third meeting between the teams and the first since 1999. Vanderbilt finished the 2016 campaign with a 9-9-1 mark. On Sunday, Indiana will play 2016 NCAA Tournament participant Memphis, who is coming off its first tournament appearance since 2011. The Tigers finished the 2016 season with a 14-5-1 record and No. 30 in the RPI.
"Having such a long road swing will be a challenge because it is very tough to win on the road," said Berbary. "But sometimes being away from distractions can help us further establish our team identity."
A trip to Dallas awaits the Hoosiers the following week to take on Southern Methodist, who is coming off its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2006 and a 13-7-2 record. The Mustangs played in Bloomington last season, winning 2-1. Indiana will then close out non-conference play with a visit to North Texas, who is coming off a 15-5-1 season as the Mean Green have never had a losing season in the program's 22-year history. It will mark the first ever meeting for the two teams.
Big Ten play will begin on the road as the Hoosiers face Michigan State on Thursday, Sept. 14. The Spartans finished the 2016 campaign 10th in the Big Ten with a 4-7-0 conference mark and 7-10-1 overall record. Indiana leads the all-time series, 15-7-2. That Sunday, the Hoosiers will head to Ann Arbor to face Michigan, who was fourth in the Big Ten a season ago with a 6-3-2 conference record. The Wolverines, who defeated Indiana last season in Bloomington, are coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013. Michigan leads the all-time series, 16-4-3.
On Saturday, Sept. 23 the Hoosiers will host Purdue in the annual Golden Boot Game. Purdue leads the all-time series, 13-4-4. However, Indiana has won three of the last five meetings with the 2016 edition resulting in a 2-2 draw in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers went 4-12-1 last year with a 2-8-1 conference record.
Indiana's homestand continues on Sept. 28 with a meeting against defending regular season Big Ten Co-Champion Northwestern. The Wildcats were ranked No. 18 in the final NSCAA Coaches Poll and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1998. The series is tied between the teams, 11-11-3 with Northwestern earning a 1-0 victory in Evanston last season. On Oct. 1, IU will host Illinois, who the Hoosiers defeated 1-0 in an overtime thriller in Champaign in 2016. The Illini lead the all-time series, 11-6-4.
The following weekend will see the Hoosiers face a pair of NCAA Tournament teams in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Golden Gophers, who ended the year 16-3-4 with a 7-1-3 Big Ten mark, are the defending Big Ten Tournament champions, as well a Co-Regular Season champions. Minnesota, who leads the all-time series 17-9-2, was ranked No. 15 in the final NSCAA Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the final RPI. Indiana faced the Golden Gophers twice last season as Minnesota earned a 3-0 victory in Bloomington and a 3-1 win in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals in Saint Paul. After the trip to Minnesota, IU will visit Madison, Wis. on Sunday to battle the Badgers, who advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament and posted a 9-5-8 mark with a 5-2-4 Big Ten record in 2016. Wisconsin leads the all-time series, 14-10-2, but the Hoosiers came away with a 3-2 victory last season in Bloomington.
Indiana returns home on Oct. 12 to host Iowa, who went 8-11-0 and 2-9-0 in the Big Ten last season. Iowa leads the all-time series, 10-8-1 with the last meeting resulting a scoreless draw in Bloomington during the 2015 campaign. That Sunday, IU will face Nebraska at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The Cornhuskers, who received votes in the final Coaches Poll and were No. 22 in the final RPI, advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska leads the all-time series with Indiana, 6-1-0, and picked up a 1-0 victory in Lincoln last season. The Cornhuskers finished the 2016 season with an 11-6-5 overall record and 5-3-3 conference mark.
The final home game of the regular season will pit the Hoosiers against Rutgers on Oct. 21. The Scarlet Knights lost to Georgetown in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016, a season after advancing to the College Cup. Rutgers, who came in at No. 25 in the final Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the RPI, leads the all-time series, 2-0-1. Last season, IU battled then-No. 24 Rutgers to a 2-2 draw in Bloomington.
IU will close out the regular season on the road with a trip to Columbus to play Ohio State. The Hoosiers defeated the Buckeyes last season, 3-2, marking the first win in Columbus since 2002. Ohio State leads the series, 13-12-2, and finished the year 11-7-3 with a 4-4-3 Big Ten mark. The Buckeyes, who advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round, received votes in the final Coaches Poll and came in at No. 27 in the last RPI of the 2016 season.
The Big Ten Tournament will once again begin at campus sites, with the top four seeds playing host to seeds five through eight. The Quarterfinals are set to begin on Oct. 27 with Finals slated for Nov. 5.
IU will play nine regular season games at Bill Armstrong Stadium, as well as an Aug. 11 exhibition contest against Cincinnati.
The non-conference portion of the schedule includes eight matchups, including three against 2016 NCAA Tournament teams and four versus RPI Top 60 squads. Indiana's Big Ten opposition includes two 2016 Big Ten Co-Champions in Northwestern and Minnesota, as well as seven meetings with 2016 NCAA Tournament teams.
"We use our non-conference games to prepare us for our vigorous Big Ten schedule," said head coach Amy Berbary. "We've put together a collection of schools from different conferences that will challenge us every time we step onto the field."
Indiana will return 21 players – including nine starters – from a 2016 roster that posted its best record since 2013 on the way to returning to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2013.
"Returning so many players will be helpful for us in terms of experience," said Berbary. "Last year, finishing in the middle of the Big Ten pack was a confidence booster for us. We are a very young team and have two outstanding seniors in Kayla Smith and Kylie Kirk that I will look to lead us throughout the season. As a whole, we have the talent and we're looking to improve on our standing in the Big Ten towards the end of the season."
Indiana will officially kick off the 2017 campaign by hosting its annual Hoosier Challenge Cup in a string of three straight home games. IU will face Cal Poly on Aug. 18 before hosting Clemson on Aug. 20. Cal Poly went 6-10-3 last season while Clemson finished 14-5-4. The Tigers ended the 2016 season ranked No. 12 in the final NSCAA Coaches Poll and No. 13 in RPI on the way to their second ACC Regular Season title and a Sweet Sixteen appearance.
The following weekend will see the Hoosiers host Louisville for the second straight season on Friday, Aug. 24. Indiana leads the series, 2-0-1, with last year's game resulting in a 1-1 draw. The Cardinals went 7-7-4 a season ago. On Sunday, the Hoosiers will head north to play Western Michigan, who posted a 13-7-1 record in 2016. The Broncos won last year's meeting in Bloomington, 2-0, but IU leads the overall series, 2-1-0.
IU's seven-game road trip continues the following week with a trip to Nashville, Tenn. to play in the Music City Tournament hosted by Vanderbilt. Indiana will face the Commodores on Friday night in just the third meeting between the teams and the first since 1999. Vanderbilt finished the 2016 campaign with a 9-9-1 mark. On Sunday, Indiana will play 2016 NCAA Tournament participant Memphis, who is coming off its first tournament appearance since 2011. The Tigers finished the 2016 season with a 14-5-1 record and No. 30 in the RPI.
"Having such a long road swing will be a challenge because it is very tough to win on the road," said Berbary. "But sometimes being away from distractions can help us further establish our team identity."
A trip to Dallas awaits the Hoosiers the following week to take on Southern Methodist, who is coming off its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2006 and a 13-7-2 record. The Mustangs played in Bloomington last season, winning 2-1. Indiana will then close out non-conference play with a visit to North Texas, who is coming off a 15-5-1 season as the Mean Green have never had a losing season in the program's 22-year history. It will mark the first ever meeting for the two teams.
Big Ten play will begin on the road as the Hoosiers face Michigan State on Thursday, Sept. 14. The Spartans finished the 2016 campaign 10th in the Big Ten with a 4-7-0 conference mark and 7-10-1 overall record. Indiana leads the all-time series, 15-7-2. That Sunday, the Hoosiers will head to Ann Arbor to face Michigan, who was fourth in the Big Ten a season ago with a 6-3-2 conference record. The Wolverines, who defeated Indiana last season in Bloomington, are coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013. Michigan leads the all-time series, 16-4-3.
On Saturday, Sept. 23 the Hoosiers will host Purdue in the annual Golden Boot Game. Purdue leads the all-time series, 13-4-4. However, Indiana has won three of the last five meetings with the 2016 edition resulting in a 2-2 draw in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers went 4-12-1 last year with a 2-8-1 conference record.
Indiana's homestand continues on Sept. 28 with a meeting against defending regular season Big Ten Co-Champion Northwestern. The Wildcats were ranked No. 18 in the final NSCAA Coaches Poll and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1998. The series is tied between the teams, 11-11-3 with Northwestern earning a 1-0 victory in Evanston last season. On Oct. 1, IU will host Illinois, who the Hoosiers defeated 1-0 in an overtime thriller in Champaign in 2016. The Illini lead the all-time series, 11-6-4.
The following weekend will see the Hoosiers face a pair of NCAA Tournament teams in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Golden Gophers, who ended the year 16-3-4 with a 7-1-3 Big Ten mark, are the defending Big Ten Tournament champions, as well a Co-Regular Season champions. Minnesota, who leads the all-time series 17-9-2, was ranked No. 15 in the final NSCAA Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the final RPI. Indiana faced the Golden Gophers twice last season as Minnesota earned a 3-0 victory in Bloomington and a 3-1 win in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals in Saint Paul. After the trip to Minnesota, IU will visit Madison, Wis. on Sunday to battle the Badgers, who advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament and posted a 9-5-8 mark with a 5-2-4 Big Ten record in 2016. Wisconsin leads the all-time series, 14-10-2, but the Hoosiers came away with a 3-2 victory last season in Bloomington.
Indiana returns home on Oct. 12 to host Iowa, who went 8-11-0 and 2-9-0 in the Big Ten last season. Iowa leads the all-time series, 10-8-1 with the last meeting resulting a scoreless draw in Bloomington during the 2015 campaign. That Sunday, IU will face Nebraska at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The Cornhuskers, who received votes in the final Coaches Poll and were No. 22 in the final RPI, advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska leads the all-time series with Indiana, 6-1-0, and picked up a 1-0 victory in Lincoln last season. The Cornhuskers finished the 2016 season with an 11-6-5 overall record and 5-3-3 conference mark.
The final home game of the regular season will pit the Hoosiers against Rutgers on Oct. 21. The Scarlet Knights lost to Georgetown in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016, a season after advancing to the College Cup. Rutgers, who came in at No. 25 in the final Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the RPI, leads the all-time series, 2-0-1. Last season, IU battled then-No. 24 Rutgers to a 2-2 draw in Bloomington.
IU will close out the regular season on the road with a trip to Columbus to play Ohio State. The Hoosiers defeated the Buckeyes last season, 3-2, marking the first win in Columbus since 2002. Ohio State leads the series, 13-12-2, and finished the year 11-7-3 with a 4-4-3 Big Ten mark. The Buckeyes, who advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round, received votes in the final Coaches Poll and came in at No. 27 in the last RPI of the 2016 season.
The Big Ten Tournament will once again begin at campus sites, with the top four seeds playing host to seeds five through eight. The Quarterfinals are set to begin on Oct. 27 with Finals slated for Nov. 5.
Players Mentioned
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