Men's Soccer Announces 2012 Schedule
As announced via the Vermont Tech Athletic Department, a seven home game slate highlights the men's soccer program's thirteen game 2012 schedule.
The Knights kick off the season at home on Saturday, September 1st against non-conference opponent the University of Maine-Presque Isle. The boys then have a full week to prepare for their first Yankee Small College Conference match, for which they travel to Rutland, VT and face the College of St. Joseph (VT) Fighting Saints on Saturday, September 8th.
Head Coach W. Jamie Hutchins will be looking to improve upon last year's 4-12-1 record, and will do so by returning many of the key players from the 2011 season. Amongst the players coming back to the Knights are Junior Defender Ramsey Allen (Sheldon, VT), Senior Forward Matthew Golden (Lisbon, NH), Junior Forward Hannes Fisher-Byrne (Strafford, VT), and Senior Defender Kyle Wells (Barre, VT). Major losses from last year's squad include Goalie Zach Fortuna (Ludlow, VT) and Midfielder Daniel Mujica (Caracas, Venezuela).
After facing the College of St. Joseph on the 8th, the team returns home for one game to take on non-conference foe Fisher College of Boston, MA. The contest takes place Sunday, September 9th at 3:00pm. The following Sunday the squad goes back to YSCC competition on the road versus Hampshire College. A home stand of three games next awaits the Knights. YSCC opponent NHTI comes into Randolph Center on Tuesday, September 18th at 4:00pm followed that weekend by a Saturday/Sunday double-header of non-conference perennial United States Collegiate Athletic Association power University of Maine-Fort Kent (Sep. 22) and then Hampshire College (Sep. 23). The weekend games will take place at 1:00pm Saturday and 3:00pm Sunday. VTC heads on the road on Thursday, September 27th for the re-match with the Lynx of NHTI, and then close out September at home on Sunday, September 30th against Paul Smith's College, game time set for 2:00pm.
The Knights open a short October slate on home soil when they play their second contest with The College of St. Joseph on Wednesday the 3rd at 4:00pm. During the fall break from classes, the boys travel first to Paul Smith's College in New York on Monday, October 8th, followed by a stint in Maine on Wednesday the 10th and Thursday the 11th. Vermont Tech finishes their YSCC regular season with a match at the Clippers of the University of Maine-Machias (Oct. 10) and then the Moose of the University of Maine-Augusta (Oct. 11).
The first round of the YSCC Playoffs will occur at the field of the higher seeded team starting October 14th, while the YSCC Final Four takes place at NHTI in Concord, NH October 19th through the 21st.
