2024 UW-La Crosse Soccer Schedule
La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has announced its 2024 soccer schedule. The Eagles will host eight contests at Veterans Memorial Field Complex with the home opener scheduled for September 14 versus the University of Dubuque (Iowa). UWL has a total of 19 games scheduled in its 2024 season.
The Eagles schedule includes six opponents who played in the 2023 NCAA III Championships, including UW-Superior, MSOE (Wis.), Calvin College (Mich.), North Central College (Ill.), Christopher Newport University (Va.) and Carleton College (Minn.). UWL earned a 1-0 victory over UW-Superior in the first round last season.
UWL and MSOE (Wis.) finished in a 0-0 double overtime tie during last year's regular season while UWL fell, 1-0, at Christopher Newport (Va.). MSOE advanced to the national tournament second round last year while Christopher Newport (Va.) advanced to the quarterfinals.
Calvin (Mich.) played in the NCAA III Third Round last year while North Central (Ill.) and Carleton (Minn.) appeared in the opening round of the national championships.
Jason Murphy has led UWL to six NCAA III Tournament appearances.
"Our 2024 schedule was built to test this group and I believe we have accomplished that," said UWL head coach
Jason Murphy. "We are excited about the challenge the six NCAA Tournament teams off on our schedule this year."
UWL finished 20-1-2 overall and 7-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in 2023 under Murphy. The Eagles won the WIAC regular season and tournament titles while advancing to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Quarterfinals. UWL won its sixth (1996, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023) regular season league championship and fifth (1996, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023) conference tournament title.
The team made its sixth appearance (2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2023) in school history in the national championships, all coming under Murphy. The Eagles earned home wins over UW-Superior and Simpson College (Iowa) in the first two rounds of this year's NCAA Division III Championships and advanced to the quarterfinals with a victory over Loras College (Iowa) in the third round. UWL is 11-4-4 all-time in the NCAA III Championships. The Eagles also advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2017 and 2021.
UWL's 20 victories this year are tied for second in single-season school history. The Eagles tied the school record for assists (63) while their 64 goals this year ranks fourth in school history.
UWL finished seventh in the final United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll.
"We have three big weekends on the road in September – opening up in the Duluth area against UW-Superior and College of St. Scholastica," said Murphy. "The following weekend we are at Dominican for two against the host and Illinois Wesleyan. And after a weekend at home, we have a big trip to Michigan and Illinois against Calvin and North Central."
"Once we get to our WIAC matches in early October, we will have learned a lot with our September matches," said Murphy.
UWL will play four WIAC games at home, including UW-Oshkosh on October 5 in the Eagles' league opener. Other home games for the Eagles will be Christopher Newport, Va. (September 27), UW-River Falls (October 19), Carleton College, Minn. (October 20), UW-Stout (October 23), Concordia University Wisconsin (October 29) and UW-Stevens Point (November 2).
"I am very excited about our roster for the fall with 23 returners and seven newcomers," added Murphy. "We are going to have as much talent and depth as we have ever had."
