Men's soccer unveils 2015 schedule
INDIANOLA, Iowa – The Simpson men's soccer team and fifth-year head coach Rick Isaacson have unveiled the 2015 schedule, which features 19 games, 10 home contests and four games against 2014 NCAA Division III Championship qualifiers.
The season begins Tuesday, Sept. 1 at home against Grinnell. Other key dates include the Iowa Conference opener on Sept. 26 at Loras, the conference home opener on Oct. 3 against Dubuque and the season finale Sept. 27 at home against Buena Vista.
Two of Simpson's non-conference opponents – Westminster (Mo.) and Wisconsin-Whitewater – made the field of 61 while Iowa Conference foes Loras and Wartburg both advanced to the round of 16. Simpson beat Westminster 2-1 last year and cruised against Whitewater, 3-1. Loras snuck away with a 1-0 win over the Storm while Wartburg won a 4-3 shootout.
The Storm went 12-9 in 2014 and finished fifth in the Iowa Conference with a 3-4 mark in league play. Simpson returns second team all-Iowa Conference midfielder Marcus Varnum and honorable mention picks Josh Harry (D), Louis Joslyn (MF) and Tyler Neumann (MF).
Here's a game-by-game look at Simpson's 2015 schedule:
GRINNELL | SEPT. 1
2014: 9-3-5 overall, 5-3-3 MWC (t-6th)
Last Meeting: W, 5-1 (9/18/2013)
ROCKFORD | SEPT. 5
2014: 1-16-1 overall, 0-10 NACC (11th)
Last Meeting: no previous meetings
CONCORDIA-MOORHEAD | SEPT. 6
2014: 2-15-1 overall, 1-8-1 MIAC (11th)
Last Meeting: W, 2-1 (9/7/2014)
AT BETHEL | SEPT. 12
2014: 8-10 overall, 4-6 MIAC (7th)
Last Meeting: W, 2-0 (8/29/2014)
SAINT JOHN'S | SEPT. 13
2014: 13-7 overall, 7-3 MIAC (4th)
Last Meeting: L, 1-0 (8/31/2014)
AT NEBRASKA WESLEYAN | SEPT. 16
2014: 7-9-1 overall, 3-6-1 GPAC (t-8th)
Last Meeting: W, 4-0 (9/3/2014)
AT WESTMINSTER (MO.) | SEPT. 19
2014: 11-8-1 overall, 7-1-1 SLIAC (2nd)
Last Meeting: W, 2-1 (9/23/2014)
2014 NCAA Championship Qualifier
AT WEBSTER | SEPT. 20
2014: 10-9-2 overall, 8-0-1 SLIAC (1st)
Last Meeting: no previous meetings
SAINT MARY'S (MINN.) | SEPT. 23
2014: 6-11-1 overall, 2-8 MIAC (10th)
Last Meeting: W, 1-0 (10/9/2014)
AT LORAS | SEPT. 26
2014: 17-3-2 overall, 7-0 IIAC (1st)
Last Meeting: L, 1-0 (10/11/2014)
2014 NCAA Championship Sweet 16
DUBUQUE | OCT. 3
2014: 7-9-3 overall, 4-2-1 IIAC (4th)
Last Meeting: L, 3-1 (IIAC Tournament)
ELMHURST | OCT. 5
2014: 11-5-4, 4-2-1 CCIW (3rd)
Last Meeting: L, 3-2 (2011)
AT AUGUSTANA (ILL.) | OCT. 7
2014: 10-7-1 overall, 2-4-1 CCIW (6th)
Last Meeting: L, 2-1 (10/7/2014)
LUTHER | OCT. 10
2014: 16-3-1, 5-2 IIAC (3rd)
Last Meeting: L, 2-0 (10/4/2014)
AT WIS.-WHITEWATER | OCT. 12
2014: 14-5-4, 2-0-2 WIAC (2nd)
Last Meeting: W, 3-1 (9/21/2014)
2014 NCAA Championship Qualifier
AT CENTRAL | OCT. 14
2014: 5-13 overall, 2-5 IIAC (6th)
Last Meeting: W, 7-3 (10/28/2014)
COE | OCT. 16
2014: 4-14 overall, 0-6 IIAC (t-7th)
Last Meeting: W, 7-0 (10/18/2014)
AT WARTBURG | OCT. 24
2014: 13-4-6 overall, 5-1-1- IIAC (2nd)
Last Meeting: L, 4-3 (9/27/2014)
2014 NCAA Championship Sweet 16
BUENA VISTA | OCT. 27
2014: 4-13-1 overall, 0-6 IIAC (t-7th)
Last Meeting: W, 8-1 (10/1/2014)
