CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State University head men's soccer coach Kirk Harwat announced the team's 2018 schedule Friday morning.
A trio of fixtures against Power Five opponents, a rematch with the 2017 Patriot League regular season champions and two additional in-state, non-conference matches will help augment the eight-match Horizon League slate.
"We are extremely excited about our fall 2018 schedule," Harwat said. "As we have done on a yearly basis, we will compete against some of the top teams in the country with a handful of high RPI games. We always want to challenge our group outside our conference to make sure we are prepared when we face our Horizon League opponents."
The Vikings will face a pair of Big Ten squads for the second straight season and also face at least one Atlantic Coast Conference foe for the fourth time in five seasons. It will mark the first time since 2014 that CSU has faced at least three Power Five opponents. Cleveland State will also be challenged by the fact that 10 of its 16 regular-season matches will take place at road venues.
For the second straight season, Cleveland State will have a trio of exhibition matches in advance of the regular season. The Vikings will face an outside foe for the first time Saturday, Aug. 11, when they welcome St. Bonaventure. Two days later, CSU will make the short trip south to face perennial power Akron before it closes its preseason slate by hosting Notre Dame (Ohio) August 19.
For the first time since 2013, Cleveland State will begin a campaign away from Krenzler Field, as Cleveland State opens up by spending a weekend in the Windy City.
The Vikings will face Loyola (Ill.) in their regular-season opener Friday, Aug. 24. It will be the 23rd meeting between the programs but the first since the 2012 Horizon League Championship match, a 2-0 CSU victory. It will also be the first meeting as non-conference opponents between the Vikings and Ramblers.
Cleveland State will remain in northeast Illinois to face Northwestern Monday, Aug. 27. It will be the third meeting between the sides and the first since 2010.
The 2018 regular season home opener will follow, as the Vikings host Cincinnati Friday, Aug. 31, at 7:00 p.m. It will be the seventh straight season the Bearcats and Vikings have met.
Cleveland State will remain at home Saturday, Sept. 8, as it opens League play by facing defending regular-season champion Green Bay. CSU's road League opener will take place one week later against the League's other Wisconsin program, Milwaukee.
Cleveland State's second and final non-conference home match will take place Sept. 18 against Bowling Green, as the programs meet for the eighth consecutive season.
The Vikings then close out the month by facing the two sides that they matched up against in the 2017 League Tournament. CSU heads to Wright State Sept. 22 before hosting UIC Sept. 29.
Cleveland State will begin October with three straight non-conference road matches, including back-to-back contests against Power Five foes.
The Vikings will travel to Duquesne Oct. 2 to begin the stretch. Cleveland State will then face Ohio State Oct. 5 before heading back to western Pennsylvania Oct. 8 to face Pittsburgh.
The Vikings will be meeting the Dukes and Panthers for the third time in four years in official competition while their meeting with the Buckeyes will be just the third since 2009.
Cleveland State resumes League action Oct. 13 by hosting IUPUI for the first time as a League opponent.
The Vikings then close non-conference action Oct. 16 with a trip to Loyola (Md.). It will be CSU's first trip to Loyola as the Vikings won the first-ever meeting between the sides last season.
Cleveland State will close the campaign with three consecutive League matches. The Vikings will travel to Northern Kentucky (Oct. 20) and Detroit Mercy (Nov. 2) sandwiched around a home date with Oakland (Oct. 27).
Since the Horizon League went to a six-team tournament format, Cleveland State has qualified for a League-high eight events. The Vikings have earned a top-four seed on seven occasions and reached the semifinals six times, both of which are also the highest such figures in the League.