2020 Salem Soccer Schedule

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Salem soccer team, which capped off the 2019 season with an appearance in the semifinals of the USA South Conference Tournament, announced its 2020 schedule on Wednesday, March 31. The docket includes nine matches at Varsity Field, including the home opener against Guilford on August 29 at 4 p.m.

The Spirits and head coach Octavia Saunders, who faced host Maryville in 2019 USA South Conference Tournament, are attempting to reach the quarterfinal round of the league tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2015 and 2016. Those seasons ended with Salem advancing to at least the second round of the Great South Athletic Conference and USA South Conference tournaments, respectively.

Salem concludes preseason camp by making road trip to Milligan (Aug. 21) and Montreat (Aug. 22) for a series of scrimmages, which will serve as a tune-up to the start of the season. The first match of the 2020 campaign for the Spirits comes the following weekend, when Salem travels to Buena Vista, Va., for its third all-time meeting with Southern Virginia at 6 p.m., on Friday, Aug. 28.

Guilford makes the short trek to Winston-Salem the following afternoon, to open the home slate for the Spirits, who own a perfect 3-0-0 mark at home against the Quakers in the all-time series.

Salem begins its first full month of play with a trio of road games at Randolph (Sept. 1), Emory & Henry (Sept. 5) and Johnson & Wales (Sept. 9). The Spirits briefly return to the Twin City on Sept 12, hosting Eastern Mennonite at 2 p.m., before their final road match of the month at Ferrum on Sept. 16.

The Spirits then begin a five-match home stretch three days later by welcoming crosstown rival Piedmont International at 2 p.m. The extensive homestand ties the 2012 unit for the second-longest in program history and is one shy of the longest (six matches) in school history, which came in 2013.

Saunders' unit will then face their final non-conference foes of the season—Bob Jones (Sept. 21) and Sweet Briar (Sept. 23)—before beginning USA South Conference action by hosting Pfeiffer (Sept. 25) and N.C. Wesleyan (Sept. 29) in a series of 4 p.m. matches.

Salem heads into October with a series of road clashes with league rivals Greensboro (Oct. 3) and Averett (Oct. 7). The first of two home October matches for the Spirits comes against Meredith (Oct. 10), which will be followed by a match at William Peace on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The home slate concludes on Tuesday, Oct. 20, when Methodist travels to Winston-Salem for a 3 p.m. match. The regular season ends four days later in Staunton, Va., with a match versus Mary Baldwin.

USA South Conference Tournament action is slated to begin on Wednesday Oct. 28 and continue through Nov. 7, which marks the league championship.

For more information on Salem soccer check out www.salemspirits.com.