NAU Soccer 2024 Schedule
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (June 10, 2024) – After advancing to the program's second-straight Big Sky Soccer Tournament Championship match, the Lumberjacks and head coach
Alan Berrios have announced the complete 2024 schedule for NAU Soccer.
"We are excited about the schedule this season. I believe we have put together one of the toughest non-conference schedules in a long time. Playing all three in-state schools in ASU, U of A and GCU is always exciting and attractive to our players as well as the Arizona soccer community, no matter where the games are played," Berrios said. "All three games will be on the road in hostile environments which will help us prepare for what is important, which is our conference schedule."
NAU's roster includes 21 returners while welcoming 17 newcomers to the program. Fans will get the chance for an early look at the Jacks on Aug. 10 as NAU will open the 2024 season up with an exhibition match against Embry Riddle in Lumberjack Stadium at 6 p.m. MST.
The Jacks will then depart Flagstaff to open the regular season at in-state foe's Arizona State on Aug. 15 and Arizona on Aug. 22. NAU will be eyeing back-to-back seasons with a power conference win after taking down Oregon in Flagstaff last season in 3-2 fashion. The Jacks victory over the Ducks marked the program's first power conference victory since 2001, where NAU grabbed a victory over Arizona State.
"At home we have some quality opponents coming into Flagstaff. We have UPenn from the Ivy League coming in which will give our players a completely different view of the game coming from the East Coast," Berrios said.
NAU will open the regular season home slate with Pennsylvania on Aug. 29, marking the first-ever matchup between the two in program history. Penn finished the 2023 season with a 6-7-3 record while closing out the season with a 2-1 victory over Cornell. NAU will then host Utah Tech on Sept. 5 as the Jacks will look to extend the overall series to a 3-0 advantage.
The Jacks will head on the road once again to face Air Force on Sept. 8, and GCU on Sept. 12 in the final non-conference road trip of the season. The Falcons and the Jacks will meet for the first time since the 2022 season, where Air Force took home a 2-1 victory. NAU's meeting with the Lopes with be the first regular-season contest between the Arizona schools since the 2021 season.
Closing out non-conference play, Northern Arizona will host New Mexico and Southern Utah in Flagstaff. The Lumberjacks tied with both programs in the 2023 campaign.
"We finish our out of conference schedule at home against UNM and Southern Utah, which both teams are always tough to play against," Berrios said. "All in all, we have put together a challenging schedule that will help us prepare for our tough conference schedule where all the teams in the conference will be much improved this coming season. We should be battle tested by then."
NAU's first conference match will give the Jacks an early opportunity to play on the Big Sky Tournament field in Missoula, as the Griz will host the Lumberjacks on Sept. 29. The two teams split their 2023 meetings, with Montana taking the regular season matchup and the Jacks earning a 1-0 victory over the regular season championships to advance to the tournament championship game. NAU will then head to Northern Colorado for a Oct. 3 meeting with the Bears.
The Jacks then return to Flagstaff for a four-game homestand, hosting Eastern Washington on Oct. 10, Idaho on Oct. 13, Portland State on Oct. 18, and Sacramento State on Oct. 20. The Lumberjacks final tournament preparations will come on the road at Weber State on Oct. 25, and Idaho State on Oct. 27. Montana will host the 2024 Big Sky Tournament in Missoula from Nov. 6-10 as the Jacks focus on a return to the NCAA Tournament.
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