“We are really excited for this coming fall,” said Agoos, who enters his sixth season at the helm of the program. “I feel like for the third straight year we can compare our schedule to any ones in the entire country, in terms of demanding games and top opponents. This is what it is going to take for us to take the next step as a program and we will continue to do this year in and year out.”
Seattle U will open the season in California for a three-game road swing, beginning on Aug. 27 at UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos, who went to the NCAA Tournament last season, have been a perennial top soccer program in the nation.
Following their season opener, SU will travel to UC Davis on Sept. 2, who the Redhawks defeated 1-0 last year on their way to the OSU Hensor/Zaher Nike Classic title. Two days later, Seattle U will square off with Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo before returning home.
The Redhawks open up action at home with cross-town rival the University of Washington. In a Saturday afternoon match on Sept. 10, SU will look to earn their first victory over the Huskies since transitioning back to DI. Fellow Jesuit institution Gonzaga will travel to the Emerald City for the second consecutive season, as SU will host the Bulldogs on Sept. 13, prior to hitting the road on a five-game stint in the Golden State.
On Sept. 23, Seattle U will head to Los Angeles to face 2010 NCAA Tournament quarterfinal participant and national powerhouse UCLA. Following their match against the Bruins, SU will faceoff with the Matadors of Cal State Northridge on Sept. 25.
The Redhawks open up MPSF conference play on Oct. 1, at Cal State Bakersfield. Last season SU split their season series with the Roadrunners, capping off 2010 with a 1-0 overtime victory over CSUB.
Seattle U will remain on the road in Northern California for a pair of contests, beginning at San Jose State on Oct. 7. Versus the Spartans, SU earned a scoreless shutout at home and was edged 1-0 in San Jose. The Redhawks final stop on their five-game California leg is at Sacramento State on Oct. 9. SU went 1-1 with the Hornets last year, who won their second consecutive MPSF Tournament title in 2010.
After facing both SJSU and CSUS on the road the week prior, both squads will travel north for a mid-October weekend matchup. The Redhawks will face San Jose State on Oct. 14, before hosting Sacramento State on Oct. 16.
SU will remain at home for a consecutive weekend of conference action at Championship Field. New Mexico, who was one of three MPSF squads in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and Seattle U will go head-to-head on Oct. 21. The Redhawks will conclude their home stand two days later, hosting UNLV. SU defeated the Rebels 2-0 in Las Vegas, Nev. in their last meeting in 2010.
Seattle U will spend their final weekend on the road in Colorado for a pair of games, beginning at Air Force on Oct. 28. The Redhawks final road soccer match will be on Oct. 30, at the University of Denver, who rounds out the 2010 NCAA Tournament representatives from the MPSF.
Cal State Bakersfield will travel to Seattle for the final regular season contest of the 2011 campaign. The Redhawks and Roadrunners will face off on Nov. 5.
The Redhawks will look to earn their first spot in the MPSF Tournament since joining the conference in 2009.