STEPHENVILLE – For the first time ever, soccer is on the composite calendar for Tarleton athletics.
The Texans unveiled their inaugural Division I soccer schedule on Tuesday ahead of the 2022 season.
Tarleton has 20 matches on the docket – 10 home and 10 away. The Texans will compete seven times in nonconference play before transitioning to a 13-game round robin schedule in the revamped Western Athletic Conference.
“The season cannot come soon enough,” said head coach Pete Cuadrado. “This has no doubt been an exciting process, but we are ready to see this come to fruition. From a schedule standpoint, it is great to have the chance to play half of our matches in front of our fans at home. One thing about Tarleton is our fanbase shows up to support our athletes. The WAC is a tough conference, everyone has the ability to get a result on any given day. It is going to be a challenge, but we look forward to it.”
Though unofficial, the first Tarleton soccer game goes down along the Texas gulf. Tarleton is set to begin its debut D1 season on Aug. 12 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in an exhibition match.
The first countable game in school history takes place a week later in the Bayou. The Texans officially enter the D1 ranks with a neutral site match vs. North Dakota State on Aug. 19 in Thibodaux, Louisiana on the campus of Nicholls State.
Tarleton then draws the host Colonels on Aug. 19 to complete their two-game stay on the backdrop of the Big Easy.
The Tarleton Soccer Complex will then be the site of one of the most anticipated athletic contests in recent memory. The Texans make their home debut on Thursday, Aug. 25 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB).
“I’m excited, it is going to be a special night,” Cuadrado said. “A lot of work has gone into getting this program started, and it will be great to see it all come together. I think we are going to surprise some people regarding the support for soccer not only in the Tarleton community, but Stephenville as whole. It is going to make for a great environment.”
The showdown with UAPB kicks off a two-week stretch at home. Fans have the opportunity to see the Texans in action twice more in nonconference play in a pair of Friday night matchups vs. Alcorn State on Sept. 2 and UT Permian Basin on Sept. 9.
Tarleton then makes a return trip to Louisiana to square off against Louisiana Monroe on Sept. 11 to conclude its nonconference slate.
The Texans possess a comfortable start to WAC play, as five of their first seven conference games are at home.
Tarleton draws regional rival Abilene Christian on Sept. 18 to commence conference play before welcoming Utah Tech and Southern Utah to Stephenville for a Friday-Sunday pairing on Sept. 23-25.
The program’s first WAC road trip then arrives with a two-game swing through the southwestern United States to face New Mexico State (Sept. 30) and Sam Houston (Oct. 2).
The Texans return home for another weekend of matches vs. south Texas foes UTRGV on Oct. 7 and Incarnate Word on Oct. 9.
“It is great to be a part of the WAC conference where soccer is highly competitive,” Cuadrado said. “The caliber of the coaching staffs across the board is pretty incredible. There are quality programs in multiple regions of the country, which makes it an exciting experience for our student-athletes.”
The start of the second half of WAC play sends Tarleton out west to meet California Baptist and reigning WAC West Division and Tournament champion Grand Canyon on Oct. 14-16.
The Texans then return home one last time to host Seattle U and Utah Valley on Oct. 21-23 in their final home matches of the fall.
The regular season concludes with a trip to east Texas to meet defending WAC Southwest Division champion Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 28 and Lamar on Oct. 30.
The WAC Women’s Soccer Tournament begins with quarterfinal matchups on Nov. 2 and runs through Nov. 6
Broadcast specifications for each match will be announced at a later date. Season and Individual home game tickets will be available in the coming weeks at TarletonSports.com/Tickets.
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