GREENWOOD - Lander women's soccer Coach Chris Ayer announced the Bearcats' upcoming 2023 schedule, which looks to be one of the region's most challenging.
Lander will battle five teams that participated in the NCAA Championship last fall, including Columbus State, who advanced to the National Semifinals. All in all, seven opponents won ten or more games last season, and ten teams finished with a winning record.
The Bearcats will kick off the fall on August 31st, as they host Emmanuel at 7:00 PM. This will be just the third matchup with the Lions. Lander owns a 2-0 lead in the series, defeating Emmanuel 2-1 last fall in Franklin Springs.
It will be a short turnaround for Lander as they will host Limestone on September 3rd. The Saints finished last season with 12 wins, won the South Atlantic Conference tournament, and advanced to the NCAA Southeast Regional. The Bearcats are looking to snap a three-game losing streak to the Saints.
Lander then begins a four-game road trip in Florida the following weekend. They will take on Saint Leo on September 8th for the first time since 2014, when Lander defeated Lions 3-1. On the 10th, the Bearcats will battle Florida Southern for the first time in program history. The Mocs finished 2022 with 13 wins and advanced to the second round of the NCAA South Regional.
The Bearcats will open up Peach Belt play on September 16th as they make the short drive down Highway 25 to take on USC Aiken. Lander owns a 17-6-5 series record over the Pacers, including 15-1-2 in their last 18 matches. A week later, Lander traves to South Georgia to take on defending PBC Championship Columbus State.
On September 27th, the Bearcats return home to battle former conference rival Francis Marion at Van Taylor Stadium. Lander owns a five-game winning streak over the Patriots, allowing just two goals in those wins.
Lander returns to conference action on the 30th as they host Georgia Southwestern. They have not lost to the Hurricanes since 2006 and have allowed just one goal in the last six matches. The Bearcats will then host North Georgia on October 4th, and the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw last fall as the Nighthawks advanced to the NCAA Southeast Region.
The Bearcats will return to the road as they travel to take on Albany State (October 7th) and Clayton State (October 11th) before hosting Flagler on the 14th. The last time the Flagler came to Greenwood, the Bearcats picked up the win over the second-ranked Saints 2-1.
Heading down the home stretch of the fall, Lander will face two SAC opponents in their final four games. The Bearcats will travel to Anderson on October 18th and Newberry on the 25th. Lander and Anderson battled to a scoreless draw last season at Van Taylor Stadium, but the Bearcats own a 13-2-1 advantage in the series. Lander has not faced Newberry since 2018 when they defeated the Wolves 3-1 to tie the series at six.
In their final two conference matches, the Bearcats will host USC Beaufort on October 21st and Georgia College & State on October 28th. Last season Lander took down the Sand Sharks 4-1 while earning a 1-1 draw with the Bobcats.
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