TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Florida State University and the Seminole Soccer program announced on Thursday, July 11 the schedule for the 2013 season. The Seminoles will open the season at home on Friday, August 23 against Oregon State highlighting one of 12 games played inside the friendly confines of the Seminole Soccer Complex this fall.
Krikorian, who enters his ninth season as head coach at Florida State, returns 12 letter-winners and six starters from last year’s squad that finished the season ranked No. 4 in the nation. And after coming off its second straight trip to the College Cup and a first place regular season finish in the always competitive Atlantic Coast Conference, the Seminoles enter the 2013 campaign with high expectations.
“The goal this year is no different than when I arrived at Florida State in 2005 and that is to compete for a national championship,” said head coach Mark Krikorian. “We feel this year’s schedule will put us in a position to do just that as it will prepare our team both physically and mentally. This might be one of the most competitive schedules we have put together in my nine seasons as head coach.”
FSU will play 12 of its 19 regular season matches at home this fall inside the Seminole Soccer Complex, a venue that has proven to be a difficult place to play for opposing teams. Last year, the Seminoles finished with a perfect 14-0-0 record at home and are 86-8-3 all-time at home under Krikorian. Following a win over Notre Dame in the 2012 NCAA Quarterfinals, Florida State tied the school record for the longest home win streak at 18 – a streak that will be put on the line when the Noles open the 2013 campaign against the Beavers.
Thirteen teams on this year's schedule recorded 10 or more wins a season ago. Twelve schools earned a bid to participate in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, while five of those teams played into the third round.
Five of FSU’s six non-conference games will be played at home with the lone road match coming at Florida on Friday, August 30. After opening the season against Oregon State, the Seminoles play host to Auburn on Sunday, August 25. The other three non-conference home matches include UCF, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
Florida State moves to a 13-game ACC schedule in 2013 with the additions of Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the league. The Seminoles will play seven home matches and six on the road all leading up to the ACC Tournament first round matches which will be held on the campus of the higher seeded teams on Sunday, November 3.
“This year’s ACC schedule will be more challenging than ever before as we welcome Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the league,” added Krikorian. “We will play 12 teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year including nine schools that are current members of the ACC. When you factor in the new additions to our league, the ACC continues to be the best soccer conference in the nation.”
Florida State will open conference play on the road in the state of North Carolina facing Wake Forest on Thursday, September 12 followed by a match at Duke on Sunday, September 15. FSU will host defending national champion North Carolina for its ACC home opener on Wednesday, September 18.
The Seminoles will also host NC State, Miami, Boston College, Pittsburgh and Maryland and will then wrap-up the regular season schedule with a home match against Notre Dame on Thursday, October 31. The remaining road tests for Florida State in league play include matches at Clemson, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Virginia.
Here is a look at the complete 2013 Florida State soccer schedule:
Friday, August 23 – Oregon State, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 25 – Auburn, 1:00 p.m.
Friday, August 30 – at Florida, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 1 – UCF, 1:00 p.m.
Friday, September 6 – Oklahoma State, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 8 – Oklahoma, 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 12 – at Wake Forest, 7:00 p.m.^
Sunday, September 15 – at Duke, 1:00 p.m.^
Wednesday, September 18 – North Carolina, 7:00 p.m.^
Sunday, September 22 – NC State, 1:00 p.m.^
Thursday, September 26 – Miami, 7:00 p.m.^
Sunday, September 29 – at Clemson, 1:00 p.m.^
Thursday, October 3 – Boston College, 7:00 p.m.^
Thursday, October 10 – at Syracuse, 7:00 p.m.^
Sunday, October 13 – Pittsburgh, 1:00 p.m.^
Sunday, October 20 – Maryland, 1:00 p.m.^
Thursday, October 24 – at Virginia Tech, 7:00 p.m.^
Sunday, October 27 – at Virginia, 1:00 p.m.^
Thursday, October 31 – Notre Dame, 7:00 p.m.^
Sunday, November 3 – First Round ACC Tournament*
*campus site of higher seed
Friday – Sunday, November 8 & 10 – ACC Tournament
(Cary, N.C. – WakeMed Soccer Park)
**All match times are EST** (Bold denotes home match)
^denotes ACC match
