Men's Soccer | 7/2/2019 5:58:00 PM

MIAMI SHORES, Fla.--Head coach Steve McCrath has released the 2019 schedule for Barry University's men's soccer team as they get back on the field after winning the NCAA Division II National Championship last fall.

"This season's schedule is no easier than any other," McCrath said. "Obviously, winning a championship makes for a great challenge for those opposing us. But it makes for a great challenge for ourselves as well. Name an SSC (Sunshine State Conference) date and I'll tell you why it's difficult and exciting. Name our early non-conference regional games and they're also difficult and exciting.

"We get to face teams we've never played before and also ones with a familiar face. We face a former national championship team in Wingate. We face a former SSC player who coaches Lenior-Rhyne. We face a former assistant coach at Georgian Court, who nearly made the NCAA playoffs last year and a new foe (Lee, Tenn.) who's been pushing for the NCAA's as well. It is a packed schedule and no one will be looking to hand us anything. Just the way we like it!"

The Bucs start with a slate of three pre-season games the last week of August, all coming at home on Buccaneer Field. Barry will face Florida Atlantic, Broward College and Flagler in exhibition action. The Owls visit on Aug. 24, while Broward comes in on Aug. 28 and the Saints complete the action on Aug. 31. All three games start at 6:00 pm.

The regular season get underway on Sept. 5 as the Bucs host the Georgian Court Lions. The Lions, under former Buccaneer assistant Dino Raso, are coming off a 13-5-1 season, including a 1-0 win over West Chester, the NCAA D-II runners-up. Barry has won both previous meetings with the Lions, with both matches coming in Miami Shores.

The Bucs host cross town rival St. Thomas on Sept. 7. The Bobcats were 7-7-2 last season, including a 2-1 overtime loss to the Buccaneers. Barry leads the all-time series 20-5-1 and have taken the last 11 in a row.

The Bucs venture to North Carolina for a pair of games Sept. 12 and 14. They visit the Wingate Bulldogs on the 12th and take on Lenoir-Rhyne on the 14th. The Bulldogs were 8-6-1 in 2018, reaching the quarterfinals of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament. The Bears were 11-6-0 last season and reached the SAC semifinals. Barry is 2-0 against Wingate, both at neutral sites, with the last game coming in 1995. The Bucs have won all four meetings with the Bears, including one win in Hickory in 1997.

The Bucs jump into Sunshine State Conference play on Sept. 21, hosting the Tampa Spartans. The Spartans are coming off a 3-7-4 season, 3-6-1 in the SSC. Barry captured a 4-3 overtime win over UT at Pepin Stadium last season. Overall, though, the Spartans own a 22-14-3 edge in the series.

The Bucs make a rare weekday trip to Cleveland, Tenn., to face the Lee Flames on Sept. 24. The Flames were 9-7-3 last season, falling to Spring Hill in the semifinals of the Gulf South Conference Tournament. It will be the first meeting between the teams.

The Bucs play the Florida Tech Panthers in Melbourne, Fla., on Sept. 28. The Panthers went 10-4-1 last season, 6-3-1 in the SSC. They beat the Bucs 2-1 in Miami Shores last season, but the Bucs lead the all-time series 21-16-3, including a 9-8 mark in Melbourne.

Barry starts October with the first of two home games against the Florida Memorial Lions on Oct. 1. FMU went 2-12-0 last season, including a 4-0 loss to the Bucs. Barry has won both previous meetings.

The Buccaneers host the Embry-Riddle Falcons on Oct. 5. The Falcons went 2-10-1, 1-8-1 in the SSC and tied the Bucs 2-2 in Daytona Beach. It was the third tie in five games in the series. Barry has won the other two.

Barry hosts arch-rival Lynn on Oct. 9. The Knights were 11-4-3 last season, 7-2-1 in the conference, but went 0-2-1 against the Bucs, falling in the regular season and the SSC Tournament 2-0 both games. They tied 0-0 in the South Region final at Young Harris College, but the Bucs advanced on penalty kicks on their way to the national championship. Though Lynn holds a 26-12-6 edge in the series, Barry is 3-1-2 in the last six games.

On Oct. 12, the Bucs visit Saint Leo before returning home to take on Florida Memorial again. Saint Leo went 3-13 overall in 2018 and did not win a conference game (0-10). The Lions fell 4-2 to the Bucs. Barry, who has won the last two games in the series, leads 21-12-4, including 12-6 in Saint Leo.

The Bucs host the Florida Southern Moccasins on Oct. 19. FSC was 12-5-0, 6-4-0 in the SSC last season, including a 3-0 loss to Barry to close the regular season. The Bucs, who lead 27-7-2, have won the last five in the series.

The Bucs play at Nova Southeastern on Oct. 23. The Sharks, who went 12-4-1, tied the Bucs for second in the conference last season at 7-2-1. Barry, however, won 2-1 in the regular season to win the tie-breaker. The Bucs lead 18-12-4 in the series, going 6-3-1 since 2009.

The Bucs close October at home against Rollins on Oct. 30. They will recognize the 2019 seniors prior to the game. The Tars were 10-6-0, 4-6-0 in the conference last year. They lead the all-time series 21-18-2, thanks to a 9-3-1 mark in the last 13 games. Barry has taken nine of 14 games at Buccaneer field.

Barry closes the regular season with a pair of road games. On Nov. 2, they face Eckerd in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Tritons, 4-10-1, 2-8-0 in the SSC last season, fell 2-0 to the Bucs in Miami Shores last year. Since Barry won 16 of the first 20 games, the series has been pretty even, with the Bucs holding a 9-8-2 advantage.

The Bucs close out the regular season at defending conference champs Palm Beach Atlantic on Nov. 5. The Sailfish went 19-1-1, 9-1-0 in the SSC last season, winning both the regular season and tournament titles. They bested the Bucs twice, 3-2 in overtime in the regular season and 1-0 in the championship game. Though they have now won three in a row in the series, they still trail the Bucs 19-5-1 overall. Since the Sailfish opened the Rinker Athletic Campus, the teams have split four games on that pitch.

The Sunshine State Conference Tournament runs Nov. 12-17 at campus sites. NCAA Tournament bids are announced on Nov. 18 with the finals back in Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Dec. 14.

See the full schedule here