Dallas Fall Sports Move-in Begins Thursday
IRVING, Texas – On Thursday, the University of Dallas soccer, cross country, and volleyball teams will report for the 2018 preseason. Friday marks the first day of practice for men’s soccer and volleyball, while women’s soccer and cross country start practice on Saturday.
The men’s soccer team is coming off a stellar year that witnessed it boast a 13-4-2 record that included a program-best 10-2-2 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) mark. The Crusaders won their first SCAC postseason match over Southwestern University and advanced to the Championship against No. 2 Trinity University that was held on campus. David Hoffmann enters his 16th season at the helm as head coach, and will look to build on his all-time wins record (140) at UD. The Crusaders return most of their starters and will open at home versus Sul Ross State University on August 31.
The women’s soccer team will be seeking its first appearance in the SCAC Tournament since 2015. Head Coach Lexi Stinson embarks on her second campaign with the Crusaders. She will look to guide a roster that enters this fall with 32 players. All 15 players eligible to return from a season ago made it back to help form an experience roster mixed with 14 freshmen. The Crusaders scrimmage at home on August 24 versus North Lake College. They open on the road in California at University of La Verne and Whittier College on September 1 and 2, respectively.
Volleyball is also looking to return to the conference tournament after missing for the first time since joining the SCAC in 2012. Kelli Trautmann brought in 10 freshmen in her second year as the head coach with UD. The mixture of the newcomers and support of 11 returners reflect an intriguing mix of players in a tough SCAC. Dallas will host the conference tournament on November 2-4, and top six finishers in the standings will qualify to perform over that stretch. The Crusaders begin the campaign in the Austin College Tournament with a pair of games on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. This slate includes Hardin-Simmons University, Louisiana College, Hendrix College, and Concordia University.
The men’s and women’s cross country teams debut the season at the DBU Patriot/Orville Rogers XC Opener on Sept. 1. UD alumni Matt Barber projects to have some of the largest rosters the programs have held since taking the helm. Beginning his fifth season, he hopes that depth can bolster the teams in the season opener in Mansfield, Texas. The men’s team will compete in an 8k, while the women’s team runs a 6k.
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