ODU Announces 2015 Men's Soccer Schedule

NORFOLK, VA—Old Dominion University head men’s soccer coach Alan Dawson announced the Monarchs’ 2015 schedule which will feature six NCAA tournament participants from a year ago and at least five teams who were in the final NSCAA Coaches poll or receiving votes.

“Our 2015 schedule will be a very challenging one,” said Dawson.  “Our non-conference opponents include numerous perennial nationally ranked teams which will help prepare us for C-USA. The goal is to stay the course, one game at a time, and play our best soccer late in the season as we try to defend our 2014 C-USA title. The conference will be as strong as ever and will likely contain multiple nationally ranked teams.”

The Monarchs have competed in the NCAA tournament each of the last five years and 11 of the last 13 under Dawson. ODU is coming off a 13-7-1 campaign from a year ago, winning the school’s first C-USA Championship and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  

NCAA post season opponents include Akron, Coastal Carolina, UNC Wilmington and C-USA rivals UAB, Kentucky and Charlotte.  Joining No. 24 ODU in the final 2014 NSCAA Coaches poll was Charlotte at No. 20 and Coastal Carolina at No. 22, while Akron, New Mexico, and UAB received honorable mention votes.

The Monarchs return All-C-USA selections in midfielder Ryan Condotta (Keller, TX.), goalkeeper Alex Tiesenhausen (Graz, Austria), forward Jesse Miralrio (Arlington, TX.), All-C-USA Freshman selection Tyler Edwards (Carrollton, GA.) along with senior defender Michael Nelson (Austin, TX.) and 2013 C-USA assist leader (9), Ivan Militar (Szeged, Hungary) who missed last year with an injury.

ODU will open the season at home as part of the VCU Soccer Tournament, hosting NCAA participants Coastal Carolina on Aug. 28 and Akron on Aug. 30. The Zips were the 2010 NCAA College Cup National Champions and the 2009 National runners-up.  ODU will then travel to Loyola (MD.) on Sept. 5.

The Monarchs host its 40th annual Stihl Soccer Classic at the ODU Soccer Complex which will include Jacksonville on Sept. 11 and Hartford on Sept 13. VCU, who is also in the Classic will play both teams, Hartford on Sept. 11 and JU on Sept. 13 in Richmond.

The Monarchs C-USA regular season opener is at Charlotte, the 2011 NCAA runner-up on Sept. 19 and  the league home opener is Sept 25 against UAB, followed by a non-conference home match-up against VCU on Sept. 30.

The remainder of the schedule will find ODU at home in a C-USA matchup against New Mexico, the NCAA runner-up in 2005 and national semifinalist in 2013 on Oct. 10, Kentucky at home on Oct. 24 with the regular season home finale on Nov. 7 against Marshall.

The remaining road games include FAU on Oct. 3, FIU, Oct. 17, a non-conference game at UNC Wilmington on Oct. 21, a non-conference game at South Florida on Oct. 27 and a league game in Columbia, SC against South Carolina on Oct. 31.  ODU defeated the Gamecocks in the C-USA Finals last year, 2-1.  Both South Carolina in 1993 and FIU in 1996 were NCAA national runners-up.

The Monarchs open the 2015 fall season with two exhibition contests, one at home on Aug. 17 against William and Mary and another at Navy on Aug. 22.  The Conference USA Men’s Soccer Championships are scheduled for Charlotte, NC, Nov. 11-15.

SPECIAL NOTE- DAWSON’S LOCK HAVEN SOCCER SQUAD INDUCTED INTO HALL
Alan Dawson and his 1980 Lock Haven Soccer squad was inducted into the Charter Lock Haven Sports Hall of Fame Class on June 7. Led by head coach Mike Parker, the Bald Eagles finished the 1980 season with a perfect 21-0 record on the way to the NCAA Division II Soccer Championships. Lock Haven breezed through the regular season at 17-0. On the season, the Bald Eagles recorded nine shutouts, including the 1-0 victory over Florida International in the National Title match.

ODU 2015 MEN’S SOCCER SCHEDULE

NOTE: # VCU Soccer Tournament – ODU will play Coastal & Akron at ODU
ODU Stihl Classic – VCU will play Jacksonville & Hartford in Richmond.