July 9, 2008

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - Nine home contests and three match-ups with 2007 postseason participants highlight the 2008 St. Bonaventure men's soccer schedule as announced by head coach Mel Mahler earlier this afternoon.

The Bonnies' 2008 slate includes three matches against 2007 NCAA Tournament qualifiers (Central Connecticut State, Massachusetts and Saint Louis) as well as two more games vs. 2007 Atlantic 10 Tournament clubs (Charlotte and Rhode Island). Four of last season's six A-10 Championship contestants will face off with the Brown and White this season.

"I am very excited about our upcoming schedule and the fact that we have the opportunity to play nine games at McGraw-Jennings Field in front of our home fans," said Mahler. "We have a number of challenging contests this season both home and away, including three contests against 2007 NCAA Tournament participants as well as multiple matches against teams coming off of successful seasons."

St. Bonaventure will open its new campaign on Saturday, Aug. 30 when Army visits McGraw-Jennings Field for the regular season opener for both clubs. The Black Knights enjoyed their most successful season in 12 years last year with nine victories.

The club's next three contests will all be played away from home as the Brown and White embark on a three-game road swing, beginning in Connecticut for two matches against a pair of Northeast Conference heavyweights. The Bonnies begin in New Britain with a match at Central Connecticut State (Sept. 5) before traveling to Hamden for a clash with Quinnipiac (Sept. 7) to round out the "Constitution State" tour. The Blue Devils will be the first of three 2007 NCAA Tournament finalists on this year's schedule as CCSU captured the 2007 NEC title before advancing to last year's Sweet 16.

Big 4 rival Canisius wraps up the Bonnies' road trip with a 1:00 p.m. matinee in Buffalo on Sunday, Sept. 14. Despite dropping a dramatic 2-1 overtime decision to the Brown and White last year, the Golden Griffins' eight wins in 2007 established a new program record.

Eight of St. Bonaventure's next nine games will be played on its home pitch, including the club's first five Atlantic 10 Conference contests. The Brown and White home stand starts with back-to-back matches against Cleveland State (Sept. 19) and Bucknell (Sept. 21) before the side's only road contest during the stretch at local foe Buffalo on Friday, Sept. 26. The Bonnies close out the non-conference portion of their schedule when Niagara makes the short drive to southwestern New York for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on Sunday, Sept. 28.

Atlantic 10 action commences at McGraw-Jennings Field for three weekends in a row, starting with visits from Saint Joseph's (Oct. 10) and Temple (Oct. 12). The home slate continues when the Bonnies play host to two of last season's premier A-10 clubs as Massachusetts (Oct. 17) and Rhode Island (Oct. 19) travel to the St. Bonaventure campus during the same weekend. The Minutemen's 2007 magical run included an A-10 tournament crown, NCAA College Cup appearance, a school-record 17 wins and a #4 national ranking. Rhode Island cruised through league play in 2007 to the tune of a 7-1-1 conference mark and a second place finish in the regular season standings. St. Bonaventure did not meet any of its first four A-10 opponents during the 2007 conference season.

St. Bonaventure will conclude its home schedule on Saturday, Oct. 25 with a 2:00 p.m. meeting against Duquesne.

Four road matches close out the regular season campaign as the Bonnies line up includes trips to 2007 NCAA Tournament qualifier Saint Louis (Oct. 31), A-10 Championship finalist Charlotte (Nov. 2), Richmond (Nov. 7) and George Washington (Nov. 9) on the final two weekends of the season. The Brown and White posted a combined 2-1-1 record against its final four opponents last year, including a 3-2 overtime victory over the 49ers.

"The Atlantic 10 portion of the schedule will test our club as it will again be a very competitive conference from top to bottom," Mahler said. "The arrangement of our league schedule with five straight home matches followed by four in a row on the road presents us with a challenging task as well. However, it will be nice to spend the month of October at home."

Duquesne will host the six-team Atlantic 10 Championship in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Nov. 13-16.

Mahler directed St. Bonaventure to a 6-7-3 (3-4-2) record during the 2007 campaign with postseason aspirations into the final weekend of play. The club's six overall wins were the programs most since 2004. The Bonnies boasted one of the league's stingiest defenses last season as they allowed the second fewest goals in the league en route to the selection of then freshman goalkeeper David Flynn to the A-10 All-Rookie team.