2014 Schedule
JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Saint Peter's women's soccer head coach Rob Bielan has announced his 19-game 2014 schedule. The schedule is highlighted by seven home games and three non-conference games with close proximity to Saint Peter's University.
The Peacocks will open their 23rd campaign in program history at home against Lafayette on Aug. 26. The match will be played at nearby Caven Point in Jersey City under the lights. The squad will open the season at home for the fourth-straight year and for the second time under Bielan. Saint Peter's will be looking for their first season-opening win since defeating Wagner 2-0 in 2009 to open the year.
The Leopards return to the schedule for the first time since the 2012 season. Prior to last season, the two teams played every year dating back to the 1994 season with Lafayette grabbing a 12-5-1 advantage in the series. The Leopards defeated the Peacocks 3-0 in the 2012 tilt while Saint Peter's will be looking for its first win in the matchup since 1998.
"This seasons schedule is a nice blend of new and previous opponents, as well as some newer teams that will help us prepare for our demanding MAAC schedule," said Bielan, who is in his second season as head coach with the Peacocks. "In our tough non-conference matches, we will be finding our footing as a unit and continue to hone our play while evolving together as a team."
After the game against Lafayette Saint Peter's will embark a six-game road trip, starting with three matches against Northeast Conference opponents. The Peacocks will play four of the nine teams in the league, including two of the four teams that advanced to the NEC Tournament.
Saint Peter's will hit the road for the first time in 2014 at Wagner on Aug. 29. The Seahawks defeated the Peacocks 3-1 in Bielan's first game as head coach and have won three-straight in the series to take a 10-5-1 margin in the series. Prior to Wagner's winning streak, Saint Peter's had won the previous four matchups.
The team will then makes its first of two trips to Fairfield, Conn., when the Peacocks battle Sacred Heart for the fourth time in program history and the first since the 2010 season. The Pioneers lead the series 3-0, including a 4-3 decision in 2010.
Saint Peter's returns to the Garden State for games at Fairleigh Dickinson on Sept. 5 and at NJIT five days later.
The Knights return the schedule after a year hiatus. The Peacocks defeated Fairleigh Dickinson for the first time in seven attempts with a 2-0 decision in 2012 in a series that dates back to the 2000 season. The Knights lost in the NEC Semifinals last year.
The Peacocks have faced its neighboring rival every year since 1996 with the Highlanders holding a 5-2-1 advantage in the series, including a 3-2 decision last year. Saint Peter's will be looking for its first win in the matchup since winning back-to-back games by the score of 1-0 in 1998 and 1999.
Concluding the road trip will be matches at Albany on Sept. 14 and at Yale on Sept. 16. The Great Danes return to the schedule for the first time since 2003 and hold a 2-1 edge in the series, including two-straight wins. Albany downed Saint Peter's 2-0 in the last meeting while the Peacocks won 2-0 in the first meeting between the two teams in 1999. The Bulldogs lead the series 3-0 and the two teams will face off for the fourth time in the last fifth years. Yale defeated Saint Peter's in last meeting in 2012.
The Peacocks will then return home and kick start conference play against Canisius on Sept. 18. Saint Peter's will open Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play at home for the second-straight year and for the eighth time in program history while facing the Buffalo program in the circuit opener for the first time. The Golden Griffins have won 18 of the 22 meetings, including 10 straight. Canisius held off a late charge by the Peacocks for a 4-3 win last year.
The squad hits the road for its final non-conference road game of the season at Delaware State on Sept. 24. The Hornets returned to the schedule after a year hiatus in 2013 and the Peacocks downed Delaware State 2-1 last year to increase its lead in the all-time series to 8-2 dating back to the 2002 season.
LIU Brooklyn makes its second-straight trip to Jaroschak Field to conclude the non-conference slate on Sept. 28. It will be the third-straight year the two teams will square off with the Blackbirds taking the two prior matchups. LIU Brooklyn defeated Saint Peter's 5-1 last year on its way to the NEC Championship Game.
"Our non-conference matches will be good spring boards for us moving forward in MAAC play," said Bielan. "With the infusion of new players attending this fall, and the veterans returning, we are very optimistic about our chances and look forward to putting our program back on respectful footing."
After the game against the Blackbirds, Saint Peter's will play its final nine games against MAAC opponents, starting at defending league tournament champion Monmouth on Oct. 1 at the Great Lawn. The Hawks joined the conference in 2013 and have won all 19 matches against the Peacocks dating back to the 1994 season.
The team returns home to welcome Siena to Jersey City for Saint Peter's final home game on a weekend. After the contest against the Saints, the Peacocks will play its final three home games on a Wednesday. Siena leads the all-time series 19-4-1, including a 2-0 win last season on the road and a 1-0 decision in the MAAC Tournament.
Saint Peter's will then face its final multi-game road trip when it makes its second appearance in Fairfield, Conn., to face Fairfield on Oct. 8 before traveling to Niagara three days later. The Stags are 22-0-1 against the Peacocks including a 4-0 win in Jersey City last year. The Purple Eagles hold a 15-6 lead in the all-time series, but had to go to double overtime to earn a 2-1 victory last season at Jaroschak Field.
Iona comes to town on Oct. 15 holding a 12-8-2 margin in the series before Saint Peter's travels to Marist on Oct. 18. The Red Foxes lead the matchup 14-4. The Gaels earned a 1-0 win and Marist posted a 4-0 decision last year against the Peacocks.
Saint Peter's will then play two of its final three games at home with Rider coming to town on Oct. 22 and Manhattan wrapping up the regular season in Jersey City on Oct. 29 with a road game at Quinnipiac sandwiched in between on Oct. 25. Rider defeated the Peacocks 3-1 in Lawrenceville in 2013 to take a 12-4 margin in the all-time series. The Bobcats have won all five meetings in the series, including a 3-0 decision last year in the first year in the league while the Jaspers won in Riverdale to grab a 19-3 advantage in the series.
The MAAC has instituted a new format for the MAAC Championships this year with six teams qualifying for the tournament. In the first round, the third seed will host the sixth seed and the fourth seed will host the fifth seed on Nov. 1. The two teams that win in the first round will advance to meet up with the top two seeds in the MAAC Semifinals and Finals at the home of the regular season champion on Nov. 7-9.
Saint Peter's finished 2-15 overall and 0-10 in league play in 2013.
