Add to calendar | 2016 Schedule

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. -- Siena Soccer Head Coach Cesar Markovic has unveiled his team's 2016 schedule. The Saints will play a 19-match regular season slate, highlighted by 10 home dates at Siena Turf Field.

"We have a very balanced schedule this year, both home and away," said Markovic, who enters his fourth season leading the program. "We have some matches against some very established programs that have done well in their conferences. We also have a strong lineup of a number of New York teams which will make things interesting due to familiarity."

The program's 43rd season kicks off on Friday, Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. when the Saints host defending Northeast Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champion LIU Brooklyn at Siena Turf Field. The Blackbirds, who posted a perfect 7-0 mark in the NEC last year and won 11 matches overall, are one of six non-conference foes who achieved a .500 or better overall record last fall.

Overall, five of Siena's nine non-conference matches will be played at Siena Turf Field, with three of those contests scheduled against teams that won either or both their conference's regular season and/or tournament titles last season. In addition to LIU Brooklyn, the Saints will also host Binghamton (Sept. 2), defending Patriot League Regular Season Champion Colgate (Sept. 10), Sacred Heart (Sept. 17) and 2015 Sun Belt Regular Season and Tournament Champion Hartwick (Sept. 21) in non-conference action at Siena Turf Field this fall.

Siena kicks off the road portion of its schedule Aug. 30 at New Hampshire. The Saints will also travel to Holy Cross (Sept. 6), Army West Point (Sept. 13) and George Mason (Sept. 24) to round out its non-conference slate.

Siena's 28th MAAC season commences on Wednesday, Sept. 28 against Fairfield in Loudonville. The Saints will also host defending regular season champion Monmouth (Oct. 12), Saint Peter's (Oct. 15 -- Senior Day), Canisius (Oct. 26) and Marist (Nov. 2) in MAAC action.

"It's an exciting time for the MAAC," added Markovic. "This is probably the most parity that there has ever been in the MAAC, which will provide a very strong challenge to us as we drive towards the Tournament."

Highlighting Siena's conference road schedule is a MAAC Semifinals rematch at defending Tournament champion Rider Oct. 8. The Saints will also travel to Niagara (Oct. 5), Quinnipiac (Oct. 19), Manhattan (Oct. 22) and Iona (Oct. 29) in conference play.

The top-six teams in the MAAC will qualify for the conference championships. The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will host the No. 6 and No. 5 seeds respectively in quarterfinals matches on Nov. 5, while the regular season champion will have the distinction of hosting both the MAAC Semifinals and Championship matches on Nov. 11 and Nov. 13.

Expectations are high for a Siena Soccer program which won multiple MAAC Tournament matches for the first time ever last fall. The Saints return seven starters and 19 letterwinners, while welcoming 13 highly touted newcomers to a squad which achieved an 8-10-3 overall record including a 5-4-1 mark in the MAAC in 2015.