Men's Soccer Announces 2019 Schedule
6/20/2019 1:05:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Eight home dates, including one in Savannah, highlight Eagle slate
STATESBORO - Georgia Southern Head Men's Soccer Coach John Murphy has announced the full 2019 schedule for the Eagles. Seven home dates at Eagle Park, plus one home date in Savannah on the Armstrong Campus, highlight the slate.
"During my three years in Statesboro, we have played some of the top programs in college soccer while showcasing our collective abilities quite well," Murphy said. "Once again, we will play a demanding schedule, and I'm looking forward to how our group meets these new challenges. One of the advantages of being in the Southeast is our proximity to so many quality programs and venues. We will not only go on the road for some excellent matches, but we will host several as well throughout the fall. Georgia Southern has an outstanding soccer stadium that is not only starting to get some long overdue national attention, but our support from the campus community and within Bulloch County is growing as well. Our home field is very important to us, and we look forward to more great nights with our fans in 2019."
"With that in mind, our October 1st game vs Jacksonville will be on our Armstrong campus and should be an exciting event. This will help connect us more effectively with our Savannah alumni, families and friends in this first time game for our program. The athletic department is committed to connecting with our sister campus regularly and we are very pleased to be a part of that greater vision and strategy."
Coming off of a 7-7-3 campaign that saw the Eagles just 15 minutes shy of earning a berth into the NCAA Championships in 2018, Georgia Southern will hit the ground running with a pair of road exhibitions in August, visiting NCAA participant High Point (Aug. 17) and Lander (Aug. 24) in order to tune up for the year.
The Eagles will open the season at the College of Charleston in tournament action, facing the host Cougars (Aug. 30) and NCAA participant UNC Wilmington (Sept. 1) in South Carolina. Georgia Southern then returns to Statesboro to open up its home schedule on Friday, September 6th, taking on Merrimack (Mass.) at 7 p.m.
Three dates in Florida follow as Georgia Southern travels to Florida Gulf Coast (Sept. 8), North Florida (Sept. 13) and Stetson (Sept. 18). The Eagles then wrap up September with two of three contests at home, hosting NCAA participant Campbell at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 21st as well as Mercer on Friday, September 27th, also at 7 p.m. In between those two home dates, the Eagles will visit UAB (Sept. 24).
Georgia Southern will then makes its debut on the Armstrong campus on Tuesday, October 1st, hosting Jacksonville at the Armstrong Soccer Field at 7 p.m. in Savannah. The Eagles were supposed to play on the Armstrong campus two years ago during the 2017 Coastal Empire Challenge, but Hurricane Irma forced the cancellation of that contest.
The Eagles return to Statesboro to host Wofford on Friday, October 4th, at 7 p.m. at Eagle Park. A road contest at South Carolina (Oct. 8) is the final prelim before Georgia Southern opens up Sun Belt Conference play, traveling to Atlanta to take on Georgia State (Oct. 12) in a Southern vs. State Rivalry Series matchup, as well as a rematch of the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Championship Match.Georgia Southern welcomes new Sun Belt men's soccer foe Central Arkansas to Statesboro on Friday, October 18th, at 7 p.m., then plays its final non-conference contest by hosting Winthrop on Tuesday, October 22nd, at 7 p.m.
"Men's soccer in the Sun Belt Conference in my opinion is quite underappreciated nationwide," Murphy said. " The overall standard is not only very good, but is also improving each year. I have a great deal of respect for my colleagues and the quality of the programs they represent. Every game is hard fought with a great deal of talent on the field for both sides. Central Arkansas is a welcome addition to the conference, and will bring a great pedigree from the outset of the 2019 season. Regardless, you cannot not take anyone lightly in the Sun Belt during the regular season or in the tournament. I expect the Sun Belt Men's Soccer tournament this November in Boone to be our best one yet from a conference perspective."
A road Sun Belt date at Howard (Oct. 26) wraps up the month of October for the Eagles. The final regular season home date for Georgia Southern on Saturday, November 2nd, as the Eagles host Appalachian State at 7 p.m. The regular season ends on the road for the Eagles at Coastal Carolina on Nov. 9.
The 2019 Sun Belt Conference Tournament will take place on Nov. 13-17 in Boone, N.C., on the campus of Appalachian State University.
Season ticket information is now available for the 2019 season by going to https://gseagles.com/sports/
