Click here to see the complete 2013 schedule!

RICHMOND, Ky. – First-year head coach Melissa Barnes released the Eastern Kentucky University soccer team’s 2013 schedule on Thursday, and it is highlighted by non-conference trips to power conference schools such as Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia.

“We have certainly set out a challenging schedule for the 2013 season,” Barnes said. “Our team will benefit tremendously from playing top-level opponents during the non-conference portion of our schedule. The key will be to continually get better with every game and be ready to compete in what is sure to be another competitive OVC regular season.”

The Colonels open the season on August 23 on the road at UNC Asheville, a team they have beaten in two consecutive years, before hosting Western Carolina two days later in their home opener at EKU Soccer Field. Eastern went undefeated at home in 2012 (8-0-1).

After closing out August with a matchup versus Kentucky, EKU begins September with a pair of home games against regional rivals Ohio (September 1) and Xavier (September 6). The Colonels then hit the road for trips to Indiana (September 8) and West Virginia (September 13) before playing their final home non-conference game of the year against Evansville on September 20.

EKU begins Ohio Valley Conference play with a night game at Jacksonville State on September 27 and stays on the road for games at SIUE (October 4) and Eastern Illinois (October 6). The Colonels will then play five consecutive conference games at home – Southeast Missouri (October 11), defending OVC champion UT Martin (October 13), Murray State (October 18), Austin Peay (October 20) and Belmont (October 25) – before finishing out the regular season with road matchups at Tennessee Tech (October 27) and in-state rival Morehead State (November 1).

The OVC Tournament will be held November 7-10.

“The OVC is a conference that continues to raise its level of soccer each and every year,” Barnes said. “Every game will be competitive and we know that there will be many games decided by one goal. Our hope is that our tough non-conference schedule will prepare our group for the battles we will face in our quest to win an OVC Championship.”

EKU will be coming off a historic 2012 season that saw the Colonels set program marks for wins (10), conference wins (6), goals (22), assists (18), points (62) shots (253), while also qualifying for their fifth consecutive OVC Tournament, the longest active postseason streak in the league.