WATERTOWN, Wis. – The Sabercats Women's Soccer Team has released their 2016 schedule, as the NCCAA National Runners-up will aim to capture the national title after making it to the championship game for the last two years. With a new NCCAA regional alignment and a new coach (Story), the Sabercats will look to add a new title to their résumé in the 2016 season.

The Sabercats will host 10 games, with key matchups outlined as follows:

• 9/1 vs North Central University
  • The Sabercats will once again open their season against the Rams, whom the Sabercats met twice in the 2015 season. The Sabercats' opposition also joined the new North Region of the NCCAA this season, so more than one fixture between the two sides is likely. Last year, the Sabercats beat the Rams 2-0 at home in the opening game of the season before edging them 1-0 at the NCCAA National Tournament.
• 9/13 vs Greenville College
  • This will be the first meeting between the two teams. The Lady Panthers (SLIAC) ended the 2015 season with a 9-8-3 record after advancing to the SLIAC conference semifinals.
• 10/6 vs Lakeland College
  • The Sabercats picked up a road win last season when they snagged the Muskies for a 2-1 win in Plymouth, Wis. This season, the Sabercats will look to extend their recent dominance of the series. Although Lakeland's 18 wins is greater than the Sabercats' six in the 24-game historic series, MBU has procured six wins out of the last seven fixtures.
• 10/18 vs Grace Bible College
  • The Sabercats will face their old region rivals of Grace Bible (NCCAA Mideast) with pride on the line this year. All-time, the Sabercats are a perfect 10-0 against their Michigan rivals, and in 2015, MBU managed a 5-0 win at home before scraping out a 2-1 win in Grand Rapids to seal their regional triumph.

In terms of opposition from the new NCCAA regional scheme, the Sabercats will face North Central University, Faith Baptist Bible College, and Providence University College before entering the NCCAA postseason in November. NCCAA Regionals will be played on November 4-5, followed by the NCCAA DII National Championships in Kissimmee, Florida on November 9-12. Exact details concerning the regional competition location and opponents are still to be determined.

The light road schedule for the Sabercats – just five away games total as the schedule stands – includes a September 3rd matchup with Ripon College, who battled the Sabercats to a 2-2 tie last season. Also, the Sabercats will play at a neutral venue (Wisconsin-Whitewater) when they face the Brooklyn College Bulldogs the following Saturday.

"I like the diversity of our schedule," said new head coach David Anderson. "Each team will present different challenges that we must solve. I especially look forward to competing in the newly-formed North Region in the NCCAA. The regional format will allow us to test ourselves more broadly, and will also afford us valuable tournament experience before a possible trip to the national tournament."

For the complete schedule and more on the 2016 Sabercats Women's Soccer Team, visit the team page.