The Lincoln University women's soccer team has released its 2017 schedule, head coach Emmanuel Awotula announced Thursday.    Awotula enters his second year at the helm of the Lions women's soccer program after leading the team to a 3-11-1 mark last season.

The women's soccer team has a full 18-game schedule for 2017, featuring ten home contests, 11 games against NCAA Division II opponents, five home-and-home series and an exhibition match against Division I Hampton University.

Lincoln opens the season with a pair of home contests against Washington Adventist University (Aug. 31) and Holy Family University (Sept. 2).  The team travels to Bloomfield College (Sept. 5) before returning home against Hollins University on September 8.

The Lions next three home games are against Trinity Washington (Sept. 16); Shaw (Sept. 20) and Chowan (Oct. 4).  Lincoln then takes to the road for four straight contests before closing out their season with four straight home matches.  University of Valley Forge comes to Lincoln on October 20, followed by Saint Thomas Aquinas College (Oct. 25); Chestnut Hill college (Oct. 27) and Salem International (Nov. 1).  The Salem International game has been designated as the Lions Senior Day game.

Home-and-home series will continue against Washington Adventist starting with LU's home opener and the Lions then traveling to Takoma Park on October 7. In the 15-year history of the women's soccer program at Lincoln, the Lions have won more games (9) against Washington Adventist than any other opponent.

Lincoln will also play home and home contests against a pair of CIAA schools, Chowan and Shaw. The Lions travel to Chowan on September 10 and host the Hawks on October 4.  Lincoln will host Shaw on September 20 and return the game in Raleigh, North Carolina on October 14.    Lincoln's final two home-and-home contests will be against Trinity Washington (home-9/16; away – 10/11) and Salem International (away-10/18; home-11/1).

The Lions will also travel to Division I Hampton University for an exhibition match against the former CIAA school on September 22.

Coach Awotula's squad looks to have more depth than his 2016 team with 20 players set to hit the practice field when the team begins its pre-season routine in mid-August. Gone are the Lions top three scorers, including D2CCA all-Atlantic Region standout Tamara Greene (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) but Awotula is hoping the mix of 12 returnees and eight newcomers will pick up the offensive slack.  Juniors Kayla Butts (Lansdowne, Pa./Bonner-Prendergast HS) and Cleo Spear (Sydney, Australia/Oxford Falls Grammar School) are Lincoln's top returning offensive players along with goalkeeper Lena Rodriguez (Chicago, Ill./Joliet Catholic). 

The full 2017 Lincoln Women's Soccer schedule can be found here