Hialeah, Florida – This morning, Florida National University Athletic Director Fernando Valenzuela officially released the 2018 men’s and women’s soccer schedules. The Conquistadors men’s soccer program is returning this season to defend its current title as USCAA National champion after an Undefeated season where FNU played some of the top teams in the nation.
The FNU Women’s soccer team starts with the best expectations for the new season after Having had an excellent campaign last season that led them to the championship game.
Men’s Soccer
The Florida National University men’s will travel extensively to its commitments on the road this season, The Conquistadors will play 17 contests this season in 3 months and at seven different states, beginning on August 14th in their first road match of the season against Florida Gulf Coast University, at Fort Myers, Florida.
The first trip of the season will be to Marietta, GA, where the conquistadors will face the Eagles, (Life College) on August 23rd. After the state of Georgia, FNU will remain on the road for back to back games against Grace College (IN) on August 25th and the ten times national champions Lindsey Wilson College (KY) on August 26th at Columbia, Kentucky. On August 27th the conquistadors return home where stays until September 2nd when travels to Texas for four on the road tough games in 5 days.
In September, The Conquistadors will play nine games on the road and will visit four states for its contests. The FNU men’s soccer team will go to Texas, California, Tennessee and Alabama where will have tough games against NAIA and NCAA teams and the FNU will round out their 2018 season on the road again on October 16th. The last game of the season will take place on October 16, when Florida National University travels to Tampa to play against the University of Tampa, an NCAA Division 2 team.
Looking ahead to the 2018 season, the Men’s soccer conquistadors returns with some key players from last year’s squad, including the USCAA All-Tournament Team Onezimo Francisco and Pedro Veiga, and the USCAA Tournament MVP Rodrigo Costa.
When asked about expectations for next season, the FNU men’s soccer coach Fernando Valenzuela answered:
“This year we have a tough schedule, we travel out to Texas for four games, and California to play all top 25 teams for three games then we go up to a ten-time national champion Lindsey Wilson. We think we’re one of the top teams in the nation and the only way to prove it is by going and playing the best universities in the country. I Think if you are too good you have to play the best teams and see what happens’’.
Men’s Soccer Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Level |
| Aug 14th | Florida Gulf Coast University (FL) | Fort Myers, FL | NCAA D1 |
| Aug 18th | Lynn University (FL) | Boca Raton, FL | NCAA D2 |
| Aug 23th | Life College (GA) | Marietta, GA | NAIA D1 |
| Aug 25 | Grace College (IN) | Columbia, KY | NAIA D1 |
| Aug 26 | Lindsey Wilson College (KY) | Columbia, KY | NAIA D1 |
| Aug 30th | Saint Thomas University | Miami Gardens, FL | NAIA D1 |
| Sept 2st | McMurry University | Abilene, TX | NCAA D3 |
| Sept 4th | SAGU | Waxahachie, TX | NAIA D1 |
| Sept 5th | Paul Quinn College | Waxahachie, TX | NCAA D3 |
| Sept 6th | Univ. of St. Thomas | Houston, TX | NAIA D1 |
| Sept 18th | The Masters University (CA) | Costa Mesa, CA | NAIA D1 |
| Sept 18th | Barry University | Miami FL | NCAA D2 |
| Sept 20th | Vanguard University (CA) | Santa Clarita, CA | NAIA D1 |
| Sept 22nd | Hope International University (CA) | Fullerton, CA | NAIA D1 |
| Sept 26th | Union University (TN) | Jackson TN | NCAA D2 |
| Sept 27th | The University of West Alabama (AL) | Livingston AL | NCAA D2 |
| Oct 16th | University of Tampa (FL) | Tampa, FL | NCAA D2 |
Women’s Soccer
Florida National University’s women’s soccer program will begin its season in 2018 with a game on the road when it will visit Johnson and Wales University in Miami at 1 PM (Aug. 20th).
After playing the Wildcats, the lady’s conquistadors will host their first home contest at 7 pm on August 22nd in Hialeah, FL in an exhibition home game against the Panthers of Florida Technology Institute, which plays the NCAA Division II. In late August, the FNU will also play three games against Florida Memorial at home, Florida college on the road and end August 31st at 3 PM, playing against Trinity Baptist College in a home game.
In September, six of conquistadors seven matches are scheduled to be played on the road, beginning with three back-to-back road games against St Thomas University (Sep 4th), Webber International University (Sep 6th) and Keiser University (Sep 12th), returning home to face ASA College (Sep 14th).
FNU retakes the road for three more back-to-back on the road games against Southeastern University (Sep 19th), Nova University (Sep 21st) and University of Tampa (Sep 26th).
In October the FNU Women’s soccer team have four more matches scheduled to be played on the road against Florida Memorial (Oct. 12th), ASA College (Oct. 18th), Lynn University (Oct. 20th), and concludes the regular season schedule against Warner University on October 26th at 7pm in Lake Wales, FL.
Last season, the conquistadors made their way to the USCA National Tournament finals where they were, unfortunately, unable to knock down the Bengals (the University of Maine Fort Kent) in the championship game. The conquistadors season was over, but not without an extraordinary and brave effort.
Women’s Soccer Schedule
| Aug 20 | Johnson And Wales University (FL) | Miami, FL | NAIA |
| Aug 22 | Fit (Exhibition) (H) | Hialeah, FL | NCAA 2 |
| Aug 23 | Florida Memorial University (H) | Hialeah, FL | NAIA |
| Aug 27 | Florida College | Temple, FL | NAIA |
| Aug 31st | Trinity Baptist College (H) | Hialeah, FL | NCCAA D2 |
| Sept 4th | St Thomas University | Miami Shores, FL | NAIA |
| Sept 6th | Webber International University | Lakeland, FL | NAIA |
| Sept 12th | KEISER UNIVERSITY (H) | Hialeah, FL | NAIA |
| Sept 14th | ASA (H) | Hialeah, FL | JUCO |
| Sept 19th | Southeastern University | Lakeland, FL | NAIA |
| Sept 21st | Nova University | Davie, FL | NCAA 2 |
| Sept 26 | U. Tampa | Tampa, Fl. | NCAA 2 |
| Oct 12 | Florida Memorial University | Miramar, FL | NAIA |
| Oct 18 | Asa (A) | Hialeah, FL | JUCO |
| Oct 20th | Lynn | Boca Raton, FL | NCAA 2 |
| Oct 26 | Warner University | Lake Wales, FL | NAIA |
Ruy Castelo Branco – Florida National University – Sports Information Director.
