SOCCER SCHEDULE RELEASED
4/2/2008 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- New CBU head men's soccer coach Ryan Jorden has released the 2008 schedule.
The Lancers' 17-match slate features seven non-conference games, seven home games and the always challenging 10-match GSAC schedule.
“I'm excited about the schedule and the way it has set up,” said Jorden. “It turned out well and will present us with some tough challenges.”
The season opens Saturday (Aug. 23) when the Lancers host NCAA Division II Cal State San Bernardino. That is the first of two straight home dates, the second being with Cal Poly Pomona Tuesday, Aug. 26.
From there, the Lancers hit the road for all of September and in fact don't return home until Oct. 11. The eight-game road swing begins with a non-conference match at NCAA Division III Claremont-Mudd Wednesday (Sept. 3) and then five days later (Sept. 8) at rising NCAA Division II-power Cal State L.A.
Prior to the start of the GSAC season, the Lancers board a plane and head to Hawaii for a three-game jaunt against BYU-Hawaii (Sept. 15), Chaminade (Sept. 17) and Hawaii Pacific (Sept. 19).
“It's always nice to play out of our region when we have the opportunity, and this Hawaii trip will not only afford us that opportunity but also give (junior) Dustin (Tanaguchi) a chance to go home and play in front of his family and friends,” said Jorden.
CBU then opens the GSAC slate with road games at Concordia (Sept. 27), San Diego Christian (Sept. 30) and Hope International (Oct. 8) before finally returning home to face defending NAIA Champion Azusa Pacific (Oct. 11).
All five of the Lancers' home GSAC games this year are against teams that qualified for last season's NAIA Region II Playoffs.
“The GSAC is the toughest conference in the NAIA,” said Jorden, “and our home schedule works out nicely for us this year.”
For the first time, the NAIA is going to a conference-direct qualification method for the national tournament, doing away with the regional format. The eight-team GSAC Tournament is at the home sites of the top four seeds with the winner earning a berth in the NAIA Tournament Play-in Game.
To view the entire schedule, click here.
