North Dakota State Announces 17-Game Women's Soccer Schedule

FARGO, N.D. - The North Dakota State women's soccer team will play eight of its first nine games on the road but will be home for five of its eight Summit League matches on the schedule announced Friday, June 22, by first-year NDSU head coach Mark Cook.

North Dakota State travels west the first two weekends to play Idaho State, Boise State, Eastern Washington and Idaho.  The Bison have Drake the third weekend before making their first home appearance Sept. 7 against Bemidji State.

"This schedule has lots of challenges, in particular our first four games out west," Cook said.  "With our first five games on the road, I am sure our players and fans will be excited for our home opener."

North Dakota State plays three of the top four teams from the Missouri Valley Conference, including an exhibition game with MVC runner-up Creighton at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., on Saturday, Aug. 11.  The Bison face Northern Iowa and Missouri State on a two-game road trip Sept. 14-16.

NDSU will host an alumni exhibition game Sept. 22 before opening the Summit League portion of the schedule at home Sept. 29 against defending regular season champion South Dakota State.  The Bison face last year's league tournament champion Oakland and IPFW on the first league road trip Oct. 5-7.

"As always the Summit League schedule will be very competitive, in particular our first two games against last year's champions," Cook said.  "Those games will give us a good idea how we stack up with two of the top teams in the league."

NDSU has four straight at home in mid-October against Western Illinois and IUPUI (Oct. 12-14) and South Dakota and UMKC (Oct. 19-21) before closing out the regular season Oct. 28 at Nebraska Omaha.

The four-team Summit League tournament is scheduled for Nov. 2-4 at South Dakota State with the winner earning the league's automatic berth in the 64-team NCAA tournament, which begins Nov. 9 at campus sites to be determined.