HOUSTON – HCU head women's soccer coach
Chris Dodd announced the Huskies' 2023 schedule, highlighted by a weeklong trip to Hawaii and 10 games in the city of Houston, on Wednesday.
The Huskies begin the season in Hawaii with an exhibition against the Rainbow Wahine on Sunday, Aug. 13, before staying the week to face Gonzaga and Utah Valley on Thursday, Aug. 17, and Sunday, Aug. 20, in the Outrigger Soccer Kickoff.
"We're looking forward to using our away trip to Hawaii as an extended training camp and an opportunity to grow as a team," said Dodd. "The opponents will challenge us defensively and we will need to be organized and determined, but we certainly have the ability to get a result out of either game."
HCU will return to the mainland to take on SMU in Dallas, Texas on Thursday, Aug. 24. The home-opener for the Huskies is slated for Sunday, Aug. 27, with a visit from UT Rio Grande Valley. The Huskies remain at Sorrels Field for the next two, hosting Sam Houston on Thursday, Aug. 31, and Texas State on Sunday, Sept. 3. The team's non-conference matches wrap up the following weekend with a pair of games in town, first at the University of Houston on Thursday, Sept. 7, and then at Texas Southern on Sunday, Apt. 10.
"The remainder of our out-of-conference schedule has us playing familiar opponents. It is a good mix of programs that play different styles of soccer and will prepare us well for conference play," Dodd added.
Southland Conference play kicks off a week later, on Sunday, Sept. 17, vs. Nicholls at Sorrels Field. The Huskies then face Lamar in Beaumont, Texas on Sunday, Sept. 24, before returning home to take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christian and McNeese on Friday, Sept. 29, and Sunday, Oct. 1. The following weekend is split with a road matchup at Texas A&M-Commerce on Friday, Oct. 6, ahead of a home meeting with Northwestern State on Sunday, Oct. 8.
HCU embarks on its lone Friday-Sunday road trip in conference play on Friday, Oct. 13 and Sunday, Oct. 15, for matches at Southeastern and then Nicholls. A week later, on Sunday, Oct. 22, the Huskies head to Natchitoches, La. to face Northwestern State before closing out the regular season at home on Friday, Oct. 27, vs. UIW.
"Our conference schedule is very favorable this year," said Dodd. "The travel is minimal and I feel that we have an opportunity to gain momentum early, hopefully setting us up for a strong run to finish out the season. "
"Overall, I have high expectations for us this year," he continued. "We have an experienced roster that has worked hard to put ourselves in a position to win. That, combined with the incoming talent, has me really excited for this season."
The 2023 Southland Conference Tournament will be held in Corpus Christi, Texas from Nov. 1 through Nov. 5.
