PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Women’s soccer will take center stage for the American Athletic Conference as all 10 programs will be in action this week to kick off the 2018-19 sports season. Several matchups between nationally ranked teams highlight 17 games on the American slate.
Cincinnati, Memphis, USF, SMU and Tulsa get things started Thursday night, while all 10 teams play at least one game over the next three days.
The season gets underway with 2017 American champion USF and No. 4 conference preseason pick Cincinnati playing 7 p.m. home openers.
The Bulls, who are ranked No. 18 in the TopDrawerSoccer poll, welcome Towson to Corbett Stadium Thursday before a battle at Auburn on the SEC Network Plus Sunday. USF will be led by the American Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List honoree Eveylne Viens.
Cincinnati hosts an Eastern Kentucky team that advanced to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship game last season before the Bearcats head to No. 5/8 Virginia on Sunday at 5 p.m. The Cavaliers made to the NCAA round of 16 last year.
Another team receiving national attention for the league will be in action on the first day of competition as SMU hosts DePaul at 8 p.m. ET. The Mustangs then head to the West Coast for a Sunday showdown at 3 p.m. ET against Long Beach State.
Memphis, The American’s No. 3 team in the preseason coaches’ poll, also kicks off play at 8 p.m. ET Thursday as the Tigers host Omaha. Memphis, behind the play of Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Olivia Gauthier, opens the season with a three-game homestand and a matchup against Central Arkansas on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
Tulsa plays the league’s final Thursday contest with a big-time home field challenge against No. 20 Oklahoma State at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Golden Hurricane also has a two-game week as Tulsa welcomes Missouri State on Sunday.
UConn kicks off Friday night action as the Huskies head to Northeastern at 6 p.m., in the Huskies lone game of the week.
ECU and Temple both get started Friday at 7 p.m. The Pirates travel to Old Dominion while the Owls host Saint Joseph’s in a crosstown rivalry game. ECU will play its home opener on Sunday at 7 p.m., against Radford.
Another city rivalry game is on the docket for Friday night as Houston travels to Houston Baptist at 8 p.m. ET. The Cougars wrap their two-game road week at Lamar on Sunday.
No. 16/15 UCF, the preseason favorite in The American for 2018, waits until Sunday to play its first game of the year as the Knights host 2017 Atlantic Sun Champion Florida Gulf Coast at 6 p.m. The Knights will have The American's Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, Vera Varis, back in action for a squad that allowed only nine goals in 2017. Varis also was chosen to the MAC Herman Trophy Preseason Watch List.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
| THURSDAY, August 16 |
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Road Team
Towson |
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Home Team
USF |
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Time (ET)
7 p.m. |
Location
Tampa, Fla. |
sdTTT
f |
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Eastern Kentucky |
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Cincinnati |
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7 p.m. |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
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Omaha |
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Memphis |
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8 p.m. |
Memphis, Tenn. |
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DePaul |
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SMU |
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8 p.m. |
Dallas, Texas |
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Oklahoma State |
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Tulsa |
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8:30 p.m. |
Tulsa, Okla. |
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| FRIDAY, August 17 |
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UConn |
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Northeastern |
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6 p.m. |
Brookline, Mass. |
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ECU |
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Old Dominion |
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7 p.m. |
Norfolk, Va. |
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Saint Joseph's |
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Temple |
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7 p.m. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
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Houston |
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Houston Baptist |
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8 p.m. |
Houston, Texas |
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| SUNDAY, August 20 |
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USF |
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Auburn |
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2 p.m. |
Auburn, Ala. |
TV: SEC Network Plus |
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Missouri State |
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Tulsa |
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3 p.m. |
Tulsa, Okla. |
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SMU |
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Long Beach State |
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3 p.m. |
Long Beach, Calif. |
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Cincinnati |
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Virginia |
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5 p.m. |
Charlottesville, Va. |
TV: ACC Network Extra |
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Florida Gulf Coast |
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UCF |
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6 p.m. |
Orlando, Fla. |
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Radford |
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ECU |
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7 p.m. |
Greenville, N.C. |
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Central Arkansas |
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Memphis |
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8 p.m. |
Memphis, Tenn. |
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Houston |
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Lamar |
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8 p.m. |
Beaumont, Texas |
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