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UB Women's Soccer Announces 2013 Schedule
4/9/2013 12:00:00β―AM | Women's Soccer
BUFFALO, NY - The 2013 women's soccer schedule was announced Tuesday afternoon. Fans of UB women's soccer will have plenty of opportunities to see the team up close in 2013, as the team will play 12 of its 18 games in the friendly confines of UB Stadium, including seven straight games through the entire month of September.
After a pair of exhibition games for a warm-up, the regular season will begin on the road, when the Bulls will travel to East Lansing to open against Michigan State on Aug. 23. This will be just the third meeting all-time, with the last match between the two coming in 1993. A week later, the team will travel to the southern tier to take on Big Four rival St. Bonaventure on Aug. 30. In the past three seasons, the rivalry couldn't be closer, with the record over that stretch standing at 1-1-1.
The home stand begins that Sunday, on Sept. 1, when the Bulls host Youngstown State at noon. Last season, the Bulls outshot the Penguins 9-2 in shots on goal, but came up empty in a 1-0 loss. On Sept. 10, the Bulls will welcome in Cornell for the first game in the series since 2008 in a mid-week game at 7 pm. Then on that Friday, Sept. 13, Duquesne comes to town for a 7 pm game. To cap a busy week, Buffalo will host Austin Peay on Sunday, Sept. 15. It will be the only team on the schedule that the Bulls have not faced before. On Sept. 18, Big Four rival Niagara will close out the non-conference season with a 7 pm match.
The Mid-American Conference season begins at home on Sept. 27, when Ball State travels to Buffalo. Following that, defending conference champion Miami (OH) will play at UB Stadium on Sept. 29. As the month of September comes to a close, so to will the home stand. Next up will be a challenging road swing that takes the team to perennial power Toledo on Oct. 4 and Northern Illinois on Oct. 6.
The team will return home for the final four home games of the season, starting against MAC East rival Kent State on Oct. 11. To cap the weekend, UB plays Ohio on Sunday at noon. The next weekend, Bowling Green will be the Friday opponent, and Central Michigan will stand as the final home opponent of the season on Oct. 20, at noon.
The Bulls will tour the state of Michigan the next weekend, facing Eastern Michigan on Friday and Western Michigan on Sunday. As usual, the season will close against travel partner Akron, who will host the UB on Oct. 31 at 3 pm to close out the regular season.
"The 2013 schedule should be challenging for the team and entertaining for the home fans," head coach Michael Thomas said. "We are excited to be playing a wide variety of teams and seeing different types of soccer."
Buffalo returns eight starters from the 2012 team, and welcomes in seven newcomers.
