2023 Women's Soccer Schedule

LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University women's soccer head coach Sara Butler has announced her 2023 schedule. The 17-game schedule is highlighted by seven games at the Stokes Soccerplex and a trip to play West Virginia University for the third-straight year.
 
"As we look forward to another competitive season, we welcome familiar and new faces to the schedule with the intention of developing our team to compete at the highest possible level," said Butler. "As a team, the girls have committed to the year-round process of preparation both physically and mentally and I'm excited to see how we grow on the previous season's successes!"
 
The Red Flash will open the second year under Butler at home against Youngstown State on August 17. It will be the first time since 2016 the team will open a campaign in Loretto and the 16th time in program history. The team has won two of its last three season openers that started at home. Saint Francis will square off against Youngstown State for the 13th time since the 1996 season.
 
Saint Francis hits the road for the first time at West Virginia on August 20 before heading to Niagara on August 24.  The Red Flash will face West Virginia for the sixth time dating back to the 1996 season, while the squad will battle Niagara for the 14th time since the 1989 season.
 
Robert Morris, an old Northeast Conference foe, will come to the Stokes Soccerplex for the first home game of the season on August 27. The Loretto program has won the last three tilts at home in the series.
 
The squad will embark on a three-game road trip will be the final tune ups for NEC play with trips to Delaware (August 31) Duquesne (September 3) and Cleveland State (September 7) on the docket.
 
The trip to Delaware will be the first appearance in Newark for the squad since 2013 and the fourth contest between the two programs. The Red Flash will tangle with Duquesne for the 22nd time in program history since the series began in 1994 and it will be the 11th matchup in Pittsburgh It will be the third meeting in the series with Cleveland State, but the first time the two teams will square off in Ohio.
 
Saint Francis will open NEC play with two games at the Stokes Soccerplex against CCSU on September 17 and Delaware State on September 21. Delaware State joins the NEC in 2023 as an associate member.
 
For the second time on the year, the Red Flash will have a three-game road trip with contests at Stonehill (September 24), FDU (October 1) and Wagner (October 5). It will be the team's first trip to Stonehill.
 
Returning to the Stokes Soccerplex on October 8, the Loretto program will face another new member of the league when LeMoyne comes to town. The Dolphins begin their transition from Division II to Division I in 2023.
 
A trip to LIU on October 12 will be followed with the squad's final homestand with Merrimack (October 15) and Sacred Heart (October 22) coming to Loretto.
 
Saint Francis wraps up the regular season in the nation's capital against Howard on October 26.
 
The NEC Tournament dates are October 29, November 2 and 5.
 
The Red Flash improved by three games both overall and in conference play in Butler's first season at the helm. The squad finished over .500 and made the NEC Tournament for the first time since 2018 in 2022. Saint Francis looks to advance to the NEC Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2017-18. The squad returns 20 letterwinners and nine starters from last year's team, including junior All-NEC first-team performer Tomke Dziesiaty (Tornesch, Germany) and NEC All-Rookie team selection Raine Korpics (Walnutport, Pa.).