LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The improving Georgia Gwinnett College women’s soccer program will play its most challenging schedule this fall, with four top-10 opponents from last season, including the two teams that played in the NAIA championship match.

Overall, the Grizzlies’ 2019 schedule is filled with seven teams that received votes in the final 2018 NAIA Top 25 poll. GGC also was among that group, at No. 8, following a record-breaking season with 17 victories, advancing to the national championship tournament site for the first time, a victory against a No. 1-ranked opponent and a second straight Association of Independent Institutions championship.

However, last year’s team had 14 seniors that are being replaced by talented returning players and newcomers.

“Our youthful group this year is going to have to grow up really fast as we are playing some really good competition. We will have several opportunities to make some noise nationally,” said Head Coach Dr. Mike Giuliano.

Defending national champion William Carey University (Miss.) will play in the Grizzly Classic on Sept. 21 – among eight home matches at the Grizzly Soccer Complex. Runner-up Keiser University (Fla.) is coming to Lawrenceville Sept. 13 and 2018 No. 7-ranked Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) will be a home match Oct. 18.

The home opener approaches Sept. 10 against Reinhardt University (Ga.). Other home matches will feature the University of Virgin Islands, Sept. 15; No. 22 University of Mobile, Sept. 19 on the first day of the Grizzly Classic; Point University (Ga.), Oct. 12; and Life University (Ga.), Oct. 14.

Then, the Grizzlies will defend the A.I.I. tournament championship at home Nov. 15-16.

The team opens the 2019 season with five straight road matches, starting at Bryan College (Tenn.) on Aug. 24. Road matches against No. 9 Martin Methodist University (Tenn.), No. 13 John Brown University (Ark.) and Oklahoma City University also fill the challenging schedule.