HobbsDailyReport.com
WINTER
HICKORY – Eight home matches highlight the 2017 schedule for Lenoir-Rhyne University men’s soccer.
The Bears, who reached the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in 10 years last season under first-year head coach Jack Winter, open on Sept. 1 at USC Aiken and play their home opener on Sept. 3 against Lander.
“After a very successful 2016 season, we are extremely excited about this year,” Winter said in a press release that provided the schedule. “It is always important for us to add some tough regional games to our very competitive conference schedule.”
The Bears have eight matches at the Moretz Sports-Athletic Complex, plus an Aug. 19 exhibition there against Montreat.
Among the top away matches for LRU will be an exhibition on Aug. 22 at NCAA Division I Gardner-Webb.
The Bears went 12-5-3 overall last season and 7-3-1 in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC). They advanced to the second round of the NCAA postseason before falling to Pfeiffer.
The SAC portion of the schedule begins on Sept. 13 at Catawba and that comes just after the Bears play a key Southeast Region battle at home on Sept. 9 against Limestone, which also reached the NCAA playoffs last season.
Other significant SAC matches are Sept. 16 at home when Tusculum, another NCAA playoff team, visits and a road match against defending NCAA Division II national champion Wingate (Oct. 21).
LRU returns the 2016 SAC Player Of The Year, senior forward Ismael Noumansana (Bamako, Mali) and junior forward Marc Fernandez (Barcelona, Spain), an all-league forward. Noumansana led the league in goals scored (17) and total points (35) while Fernandez had four goals, a team-high nine assists and 17 points.
2017 LENOIR-RHYNE MEN’S SOCCER
(South Atlantic Conference matches, all caps)
AUGUST
19, Montreat (exhibition), 5 p.m.
22, at Gardner-Webb (exhibition), 7 p.m
SEPTEMBER
1, at USC Aiken, 7 p.m.
3, Lander, 7 p.m.
9, Limestone, 7 p.m.
13, at CATAWBA, 7:30 p.m.
16, TUSCULUM, 7:30 p.m.
20, at CARSON-NEWMAN, 7:30 p.m.
23, at LINCOLN MEMORIAL, 3:30 p.m.
27, Lees-McRae, 5 p.m.
30, at QUEENS, 7:30 p.m.
OCTOBER
4, MARS HILL, 5 p.m.
7, ANDERSON, S.C., 7:30 p.m.
11, at Flagler, 2 p.m.
14, at Francis Marion, 7 p.m.
18, COKER
21, at WINGATE, 7:30 p.m.
28, NEWBERRY,S.C., 4:30 p.m.
31, SAC tournament at higher seeds, TBA
NOVEMBER
3, SAC tournament quarterfinals at Rock Hill, S.C., TBA
5, SAC tournament semifinals at Rock Hill, S.C., TBA; championship, TBA
- LRU Sports Information