May 3, 2006

FAIRFIELD, CT (May 3, 2005) - Sacred Heart University head women's soccer coach Kim Banner announced the Pioneer's schedule for the upcoming 2006 season. The schedule is highlighted with a road trip to Wisconsin for a pair of games, an appearance in the St. John's Nike Classic tournament and the traditional Northeast Conference match-ups as the Pioneers gear up for a run at a sixth-straight trip to the postseason.

The Pioneers kick-off the season with eight games on the road starting on the weekend of August 25th and 27th as the travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to face the Marquette Golden Eagles and the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers. SHU returns to the east coast and starts September with road games at Hofstra (9/1) and Boston College (9/6) before taking part in the St. John's tournament.

The weekend of September 8th through 10th has the Pioneers taking part in the New York City Nike Classic with Fordham, Columbia and the host Red Storm. Sacred Heart and Fordham will take the pitch against each other on Friday night followed by a facing St. John's on Sunday. SHU will wind their road trip on September 15th at Colgate and the 17th at Brown.

The home portion of the 2006 slate gets underway on Friday, September 22nd with the Holy Cross Crusaders paying a visit to Campus Field while the University of Maine Black Bears come to Fairfield on Sunday, September 24th.

The Pioneers will open up the 2006 Northeast Conference portion of the schedule on Friday, September 29th with a trip to Emmitsburg, Maryland to face Mount St. Mary's and continuing on Sunday, October 1st at Monmouth.

The home NEC schedule is set up for Friday and Sunday, October 6th and 8th, against Wagner and Long Island and October 27th and 29th, against St. Francis-PA and Robert Morris to close out the regular season. Sandwiched in between are three road games against Fairleigh Dickinson (10/15), Central Connecticut (10/20) and Quinnipiac (10/22) as the Pioneers try to earn their sixth-consecutive trip to the league tournament.

The NEC Tournament will take place on November 3rd and 5th at the site of the highest seed. The top four teams in the league will qualify with an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament at stake.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx