ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - After a home-heavy schedule last year, the Eckerd women's soccer team will spend much of its time on the road in the 2016 season.
Seventh-year head coach
Danielle Fotopoulos is optimistic that the season's early tests away from the confines of the Turley Athletic Complex will reap benefits for the program.
"It will help us become better," she said. "We will get experience early against some great competition with a young team. It should benefit us both now and in the years to come."
The Tritons play their first seven matches of the season on the road, opening the 2016 campaign on September 1 against former NAIA powerhouse Auburn University-Montgomery (Ala.) at a neutral site in Valdosta, Georgia. The Warhawks are in the middle of transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.
That match will mark the first in a series of six over a 10-day span. Eckerd follows with contests against the University of West Alabama and the University of North Alabama, both played on a neutral field in Columbus, Georgia, before returning to the Sunshine State to visit Southeastern (Fla.) on September 6. The Tritons wrap up the stretch taking on Georgia Gwinnett College and Flagler (Fla.) College at the Habitat for Humanity Invitational in Daytona Beach on September 9 and 11. While in Daytona, the team will participate in service projects with Habitat for Humanity as part of the tournament's events.
Conference play gets underway on September 14 with a visit to Saint Leo, wrapping up the seven-match road swing. The Tritons play their home opener on September 17, hosting Florida Tech at the Turley Athletic Complex, and return to the pitch on September 21 to host Florida Southern.
Eckerd's travel slate also features trips to Embry-Riddle (September 24), Webber International (October 3), Palm Beach Atlantic (October 8), the University of Tampa (October 12), Florida Southern (October 19) and Nova Southeastern (October 22).
The Tritons host SSC opponents Rollins College on October 1, defending region champion Barry University on October 5 and Lynn University on October 15. The match against Lynn will also serve as senior night for the program's seniors.
As usual, the team's schedule will be a difficult one. Four opponents qualified for the NCAA South Regionals last season including three from the Sunshine State Conference and the University of North Alabama, EC's opponent on September 4.
Fotopoulos believes that the strength of the team's schedule in the first weeks of the season will lead to opportunities for improvement.
"This will help us be ready for conference play," she said. "Last season, we lost some close games so playing these tougher games early will help us be ready for our conference games later in the season."
As usual, Eckerd's home contests can be watched live at the
Triton Game Central portal powered by Stretch Internet.
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