Women’s Soccer Releases 2022 Schedule
6/3/2022 1:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
UNF Hosts Eight Contests, Plays Two Power Five Teams
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida women's soccer announces its 2022 schedule featuring 17 matches and eight at Hodges Stadium. After a pair of friendlies on the road against Florida and Embry-Riddle, the Ospreys play their season and home opener August 18 against Middle Tennessee State.
North Florida looks to make it four-straight winning seasons and three seasons with double-digit victories in the last four campaigns.
The 2022 format will feature a weekly schedule of matches on Thursday and Sunday. All but one match will be played on either of those days, with the regular season finale landing on a Saturday.
Coach Faulconer on the Schedule
"At least on paper, this is probably the most difficult and challenging schedule in the Division I era of UNF women's soccer. Our non-conference schedule starts off against a historically strong Conference USA opponent in Middle Tennessee State, followed by a Georgia Southern team that made the Sun Belt Conference championship game last fall. Add in two Power 5 opponents and soon to be Big 12 member UCF and you can see we have a difficult non-conference slate. From there, in my opinion, we have the most difficult conference schedule of all 14 teams, starting off with three-straight road games. It features three of the four ASUN tournament semifinalists and both finalists from last fall. Add in the number one and two seeds from last season's east division in FGCU and Liberty, as well as an unbalanced schedule where not everyone plays every team, and you can see we have a tremendous task ahead. With that said, I am certain our team will be up to that challenge. We have a great blend of experience and newcomers and I am fully confident that they will be ready for whatever is thrown at them." -- Head Coach Eric Faulconer
Non-Conference Schedule
As mentioned, UNF opens the regular season with MTSU Aug. 18 under the lights at 7 p.m. at Hodges Stadium. It's the second time in five seasons UNF has hosted the Blue Raiders for the home opener after doing so Aug. 23 of 2018.
A week later the Ospreys go up against the Eagles of Georgia Southern at 4:30 p.m., completing a short two-match home stand.
Back-to-back marquee in-state matches follow, with a 1 p.m. kickoff slated in Coral Gables against Miami Aug. 28. For the first time in program history, UNF hosts UCF for a regular season game Thursday, Sept. 1.
The Ospreys did welcome the Knights to Hodges Stadium in 2018, but it came as a friendly.
From there, UNF embarks on its longest road stretch of the year, starting with a road contest at Mercer Sept. 4. North Florida stays in the Peach State Sept. 8 to face Georgia for the first time in program history, leading into a match at Winthrop Sept. 11.
ASUN Play
Mid-September sees the Ospreys begin a 10-match ASUN schedule, with eight of those contests coming in Florida and two in Tennessee.
ASUN competition begins back in the River City a week later at Southern Oak Stadium, setting up the 24th meeting between the local rivals. The final third of the season-long road trip concludes with a match at FGCU Sept. 22 and a 6 p.m. meeting with Stetson in DeLand Sept. 25.
UNF gets a crack at hosting Kennesaw State Sept. 29 in the first ASUN home match of the year. Two days later, North Florida takes on Jacksonville State in the first contest of October.
The remaining road matches come in Tennessee, beginning with reigning ASUN champs, Lipscomb, Oct. 6. Conference newcomer, Austin Peay, awaits Oct. 9.
The longest home stand of the year begins with another ASUN newcomer in Queens University Charlotte Oct. 13. The Ospreys host Liberty Oct. 16 and Bellarmine Oct. 22 to close out the regular season.
Notables
North Florida looks to make it four-straight winning seasons and three seasons with double-digit victories in the last four campaigns.
The 2022 format will feature a weekly schedule of matches on Thursday and Sunday. All but one match will be played on either of those days, with the regular season finale landing on a Saturday.
Coach Faulconer on the Schedule
"At least on paper, this is probably the most difficult and challenging schedule in the Division I era of UNF women's soccer. Our non-conference schedule starts off against a historically strong Conference USA opponent in Middle Tennessee State, followed by a Georgia Southern team that made the Sun Belt Conference championship game last fall. Add in two Power 5 opponents and soon to be Big 12 member UCF and you can see we have a difficult non-conference slate. From there, in my opinion, we have the most difficult conference schedule of all 14 teams, starting off with three-straight road games. It features three of the four ASUN tournament semifinalists and both finalists from last fall. Add in the number one and two seeds from last season's east division in FGCU and Liberty, as well as an unbalanced schedule where not everyone plays every team, and you can see we have a tremendous task ahead. With that said, I am certain our team will be up to that challenge. We have a great blend of experience and newcomers and I am fully confident that they will be ready for whatever is thrown at them." -- Head Coach Eric Faulconer
Non-Conference Schedule
As mentioned, UNF opens the regular season with MTSU Aug. 18 under the lights at 7 p.m. at Hodges Stadium. It's the second time in five seasons UNF has hosted the Blue Raiders for the home opener after doing so Aug. 23 of 2018.
A week later the Ospreys go up against the Eagles of Georgia Southern at 4:30 p.m., completing a short two-match home stand.
Back-to-back marquee in-state matches follow, with a 1 p.m. kickoff slated in Coral Gables against Miami Aug. 28. For the first time in program history, UNF hosts UCF for a regular season game Thursday, Sept. 1.
The Ospreys did welcome the Knights to Hodges Stadium in 2018, but it came as a friendly.
From there, UNF embarks on its longest road stretch of the year, starting with a road contest at Mercer Sept. 4. North Florida stays in the Peach State Sept. 8 to face Georgia for the first time in program history, leading into a match at Winthrop Sept. 11.
ASUN Play
Mid-September sees the Ospreys begin a 10-match ASUN schedule, with eight of those contests coming in Florida and two in Tennessee.
ASUN competition begins back in the River City a week later at Southern Oak Stadium, setting up the 24th meeting between the local rivals. The final third of the season-long road trip concludes with a match at FGCU Sept. 22 and a 6 p.m. meeting with Stetson in DeLand Sept. 25.
UNF gets a crack at hosting Kennesaw State Sept. 29 in the first ASUN home match of the year. Two days later, North Florida takes on Jacksonville State in the first contest of October.
The remaining road matches come in Tennessee, beginning with reigning ASUN champs, Lipscomb, Oct. 6. Conference newcomer, Austin Peay, awaits Oct. 9.
The longest home stand of the year begins with another ASUN newcomer in Queens University Charlotte Oct. 13. The Ospreys host Liberty Oct. 16 and Bellarmine Oct. 22 to close out the regular season.
Notables
- First time hosting UCF
- First time playing Georgia
- Playing newcomer Queens - first time since 2002
- Eight home games, nine road games
- First time hosting Bellarmine
- Home opener August 18 vs. MTSU
- Two friendlies
- First time playing Miami since 2016
- Longest home stand - three matches between Oct. 13-22
- Longest road stint, six matches between Sept. 4 and Sept. 25
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