SCHEDULE | SCHEDULE (PDF)

MOSCOW, Idaho – With Idaho soccer's historic 20^th season quickly approaching, head coach Derek Pittman and his staff are excited to announce the 2017 schedule, featuring a program-high 11 regular season home matches.
 
"The 2017 fall season is going to be an exciting time for our players and fans. Not only are we celebrating the 20^th season for our program, we are also making history by being the first NCAA soccer team to play all of its games indoors," said Pittman.  "Our players and coaching staff are really looking forward to playing our 2017 games on a brand new surface in the Kibbie Dome.
 
"The weather in the Palouse will no longer be an excuse to not come out to support our championship program. We expect our loyal fans to be even more passionate than ever as we make the Dome one of the most feared venues in the nation."
 
The year will be historic in many ways.  Idaho will be celebrating its 20^th season as a program, dating back to its inaugural season in 1998.  The Vandals will also be moving indoors to play in the Kibbie Dome, becoming the first Division I program to play exclusively indoors.  The Vandals will also play 11 regular season home matches, something never done at Idaho.
 
Idaho will face 14 teams in 2017 that it faced in 2016, going 9-2-3 in those games a year ago.  The Vandals will be taking on three 2016 NCAA College Cup participants, in Seattle U., Memphis and Eastern Washington, with all three coming to Moscow.  Idaho will not play any new opponents in 2017.
 
The season starts before it starts, with an exhibition match against Mount Royal University on August 13 at 1 p.m.  For the 12^th consecutive year Idaho will begin the regular season on the road, this time taking on a pair of Big West Conference opponents UC Santa Barbara (Aug. 18) and UC Riverside (Aug. 20).
 
The Vandals then return home for back-to-back weekends in the Dome.  Idaho will play its first ever indoor game on Friday, August 25, when in-state rival Boise State makes the trip north.  Kickoff for that game, and all Friday games, are currently set for 6 p.m.  The Vandals will then take on Saint Mary's on Sunday, August 27.  Kickoff for Saint Mary's, and all Sunday games, are set for 1 p.m.  The following weekend will see two more familiar foes in Moscow, with Hawaii (Friday, Sept. 1) and Seattle U. (Monday, Sept. 4) coming to town.  Idaho faced all four opponents last season, going 2-1-1, all away from home.
 
The Vandals will then play their final non-conference road game at Pac-12 opponent Oregon on Friday, September 8, before hosting Memphis (Friday, Sept. 15) and Nevada (Sunday, Sept. 17).  Idaho and Memphis have played just once before, with the Tigers winning in double overtime in Tennessee two years ago.  The loss, coming in the second to last weekend of non-conference play, was the final loss of the season for Idaho as the Vandals really galvanized as a team to finish out the year 11-0-3 down the stretch.
 
"We have a had a great spring and feel our young team is carrying a lot of confidence and belief into next season," Pittman said.  "We are excited for our players and fans to host so many quality opponents from top conferences across the Midwest and West Coast. Every one of our non-conference matches will be a tough test for our players and will provide us with the preparation we need to challenge for another Big Sky Conference Championship. The Big Sky teams continue to improve each and every year so our challenge is to continue earning our place at the top of our conference and challenging for a NCAA tournament bid."
 
Big Sky play begins on Friday, September 22 with Northern Arizona coming to town.  Reigning conference tournament champion Eastern Washington makes the trip to Moscow to close out the regular season on Friday, October 27.  For the complete Big Sky schedule, check the links at the top of the article.
 
The Vandals have been exceptional at home in recent years, boasting the second longest active winning streak in the nation at over 900 days.  Idaho hasn't dropped a home match since October 17, 2014, going unbeaten over its last 18 home games, and hopes to keep that same home field advantage in the Kibbie Dome.
 
Idaho has won back-to-back Big Sky regular season championships after finishing last season 7-1-2 in conference play and is 16-1-3 in league play over the last two years.
 
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho soccer by following the team on Twitter and Instagram, @VandalsSoccer, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals Women's Soccer.

For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com.  Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.