FULL 2009 AUGSBURG MEN'S SOCCER SCHEDULE

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Augsburg College men's soccer program has released its 2009 fall schedule. The Auggies are coming off their first ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2008 -- a season that saw the team record a 12-4-7 overall mark and a No. 17 NSCAA national ranking.

All-American Alex Hildebrandt (SR, St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park HS) will be one of seven starters back from last year's squad, which will also see the return of injured Matt Bowman (SO, Maple Grove, Minn.) and Joe Keller (JR, Wayzata, Minn.). With their sights on the 'double,' the Auggies have recently named their captains for 2009 -- senior defenders Lucas Ingram (SR, Woodbury, Minn.) and Hildebrandt. They lead a senior class that carries an 18-10-5 MIAC record into 2009.

Augsburg's fall schedule will open with the team traveling to Morris, Minn. for a non-conference tilt against 2008 UMAC tournament champion Minnesota-Morris (18-4-0). The Cougars will be looking to avenge last season's 2-1 loss in Minneapolis.

Augsburg returns to Edor Nelson Field for a stretch of six consecutive home games, including its home opener vs. IIAC tournament champion Wartburg College (Iowa, 15-7-0). The Knights feature All-American goalkeeper Trent Michael and have made six consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three trips to the Sweet 16.

2008 IIAC Coach of the Year Gary Laidlaw will bring his Central College (Iowa, 12-7-0) squad to Minneapolis for a Labor Day match. Augsburg came from behind to defeat the IIAC regular season runner-up Dutch 2-1 during last season's opening weekend in Pella, Iowa. Two days later, Augsburg will host an emerging program when Wisconsin-Superior (9-9-0) travels to Edor Nelson Field to kickoff an Auggie doubleheader at 5 p.m. The Augsburg women's team will complete the evening with a 7:30 p.m. match against Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The Auggies will round off their pre-conference season with their fifth game in 11 days when it hosts Buena Vista University (2-16-0) on Sept. 12.

A three-game conference stretch is next for the Auggies, as they host St. John's University (11-6-1) and the University of St. Thomas (12-6-1) before heading across the river to face Macalester College (9-8-1). The Auggies struggled to find the back of the net in a 0-0 double overtime draw with the Johnnies in 2008, however this year's senior class has not lost to the Collegeville side during their career (2-0-1). It is a very different story for the Auggies when facing the Tommies. St. Thomas is the only MIAC program that a Greg Holker-coached side has been unable to defeat. This Augsburg senior class is 0-2-1 against the Tommies and will be looking to snap the program's 20-game winless streak. The Scots have posed a similar problem for the Auggies; however Augsburg defeated Macalester 4-0 on Halloween last year to earn its first victory in the series since the 1982 season (25 games).

Wisconsin-Oshkosh (11-5-2) comes to town for a Friday night showdown just two days after Augsburg and Macalester square off. The Titans and Auggies played to a 0-0 double overtime draw in Wisconsin last fall – the only meeting between the two teams in school history. Augsburg will then close out a busy September with a MIAC game at St. Olaf College (10-7-1). The Oles and their superstar John Zietlow will be looking to avenge a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Auggies in 2008 when Augsburg travels to Northfield, Minn. The last time these teams met at St. Olaf, a goal with 1:04 left on the clock propelled the Oles to a 3-2 win.

The Auggies will enjoy a 10-day break before their next game – a home conference clash with Concordia-Moorhead (9-9-0). The Cobbers are coming off their best season since the 2002 campaign, and look to be stronger in 2009 with the return of All-MIAC midfielder Marco Riboli and another strong recruiting class. Augsburg's senior class has not lost to Concordia, winning all three games by a combined score of 7-0. Augsburg then heads on the road for just the fourth time when it travels to Arden Hills for a mid-week MIAC tilt with Bethel University (5-13-0). The Royals return a young team in 2009, but have recently added Division I transfer Mike Voigtlander from Wisconsin-Green Bay. The current Auggies are also 3-0 against the Royals, outscoring them by a 5-0 margin.

Augsburg opens its final stretch of home games when it hosts two-time defending MIAC champion, 2008 MIAC playoff champion, and No. 7-ranked Carleton College (17-2-3). The Auggies defeated the Knights 1-0 during the regular season in 2008, however Carleton claimed the MIAC playoff title by winning a penalty kick shootout after the teams tied 0-0 in regulation. NSCAA Region Coach of the Year Bob Carlson graduates five starters from a team that made it to the NCAA Sweet 16, but returns All-American Robert Carlton along with a strong core of players. This may prove to be the match of the year if its anything like the games these two played in 2008.

The Auggies then host UMAC champion College of St. Scholastica (15-2-2) in a Tuesday night replay of last year's 1-1 double-overtime draw before resuming MIAC play in a Friday night contest with Hamline University (4-9-3). Augsburg's last home match with the Pipers was a 4-0 route in 2007. Hamline will be led by first-year head coach Jon Lowery as the Pipers look to notch their first win over the Auggies since 2004.

The final week of the regular season sees the Auggies travel to Winona, Minn., to take on St. Mary's University (4-13-1) and to St. Peter, Minn., for their regular season finale against Gustavus Adolphus College (13-5-1). Augsburg has defeated St. Mary's three times by a combined score of 10-2 over the past three seasons. However, the last visit to Winona proved challenging for the Auggies, as they held onto a 2-1 win in a game where they committed 20 fouls and conceded two penalty kicks. On Halloween, Augsburg will take on the 12-time MIAC champion Gustavus Golden Gusties in a game that should have serious playoff implications. Augsburg has struggled against Gustavus in recent years before finally changing its luck in last season's 3-0 MIAC playoff semifinal win.

In their 2008 NCAA run, the Auggies traveled away from home 16 times, playing just seven games at Edor Nelson Field. 2009 will prove to be much different, as Augsburg will host 11 times in its 17 regular-season games. This, coupled with an extra point for a win in MIAC play, should lead to some exciting soccer for Auggie fans.