TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It is finally here. The Florida State soccer team will begin the 2017 regular season this weekend as the Seminoles host UNC Greensboro on Friday, August 18 at 7:00 p.m., and end the weekend with a match versus South Alabama on Sunday, August 20 at 1:00 p.m.

The Noles open the season ranked No. 15 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and start out at No. 4 on the TopDrawerSoccer poll. FSU begins the year as the defending ACC Champion for the fifth consecutive season and returns 15 players and 10 starters from the 2016 squad that finished with a 14-4-4 record.

Florida State looks to extend its 33-match home unbeaten streak, which is the second-longest streak in school history, trailing only a 37-match streak from 2011-14. Overall, the Noles are 67-1-3 in their last 71 home matches, with the only loss during that span coming on September 5, 2014 in a 2-1 defeat to Florida. During the current unbeaten streak, the Seminoles have outscored their opponents, 99-6.

“It’s great to start the season at home,” said FSU head coach Mark Krikorian. “We’ve been looking forward to it since last season ended. The kids have worked extremely hard, much like every other team in the country, and now it is time to get out there and play against different opponents and give ourselves a chance to compete a little bit.”

The Seminoles are 16-5-1 all-time on opening day, including a mark of 10-1-1 when opening the season at home. The Noles are 11-1-0 on opening day under head coach Mark Krikorian, including a mark of 6-0-0 at the Seminole Soccer Complex. FSU has won nine straight season openers, outscoring the opposition 23-3.

FSU is 1-1-0 all-time against UNCG, most recently earning a 6-0 victory on the road in Greensboro, N.C. in 2015. Florida State is 13-2 all-time against schools currently in the Southern Conference, with both losses coming on the road in 1997 – a 2-1 defeat at Furman and a 3-2 loss at UNC Greensboro.

The Noles and South Alabama will play each other for the 10th time in series history and for the fifth season in a row. Florida State had won the first eight games in the matchup, including three wins in NCAA Tournament play, before the Jaguars earned a 1-0 upset in 2016. The Seminoles are 13-2-1 against current Sun Belt members, with losses to South Alabama (2016) and Georgia Southern (1995) and a draw with Georgia State in 1998.

“I think folks will enjoy watching the style of play that we are going to have,” added Krikorian. “We have an awful lot of very talented kids and we have quality depth in the team as well. Hopefully it will be an attractive style of play. I think tomorrow night will be a very good starting point for us.”

Live stats will be available on floridastatestats.com, and admission is free for all regular season home soccer matches at the Seminole Soccer Complex. There will be a postgame clinic on Sunday, August 20, following the South Alabama match. The clinic will be free and open to kids in grades 1-8. Please RSVP with Ty Osborne at tosborne@fsu.edu, for more information.

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