By: Chad Beattie
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Lynn University women’s soccer head coach Chip Dutchik announced his 2012 schedule on Friday. The Fighting Knights snapped an 11-year NCAA tournament drought last year and hope a heavy Sunshine State slate, which sees them play 13 of 15 games in Florida, puts them back in the postseason.
“Our schedule will test us early and often but that was our strategy last season and it paid dividends when we reached the NCAA Tournament,” said Dutchik. “Our goal is for Lynn to be one of the top teams in the nation and to do that, you have to play the best teams. We have a difficult non-conference schedule and the Sunshine State Conference is not any easier. I’m confident our young team will be able to compete head-to-head with this schedule and come out on top.”
The Blue & White opens their season with a trip to St. Louis. Lynn battles perennial playoff contenders Quincy on August 31, and Rockhurst on September 2, in a homecoming for Dutchik, a St. Louis native and former student-athlete at Missouri Baptist.
Lynn continues to persevere on the road with a match at Flagler before returning to the friendly confines of the McCusker Sports Complex for consecutive Sunshine State Conference matches against top-25 schools Saint Leo and Rollins on September 12 and 15.
The Fighting Knights also host Tampa and Florida Southern in league action while traveling to Barry, Nova Southeastern, Eckerd and Florida Tech.
This year the SSC has entered into revised schedule format with each conference school selected to face four league opponents in non-conference play. Lynn travels to Florida Southern mid-year and Saint Leo but closes out the regular season at home with matches against Barry and Florida Tech on October 24 and 27.
In 2011, LU reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000 and advanced to the round of 16 for the first time since 1998. The Blue & White return 10 starters but must replace SSC Player & Offensive Player of the Year Melissa Ortiz.