Stellar 2006 schedule set for Laker women’s soccer
Four nationally-ranked, four regionally-ranked opponents highlight upcoming slate

View 2006 Women's Soccer Schedule
MORROW, Ga. — JULY 10, 2006 — Don’t tell Clayton State women’s head soccer coach T.O. Totty that he will be cutting corners for a successful women’s soccer season in 2006. The schedule alone rectifies that assumption.

Totty officially released the Lakers’ 2006 schedule on Monday, and it is stellar to say the least. The Clayton State 16-game schedule includes nine teams that finished the 2005 season with winning records, plus four teams that advanced to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. Totty’s Lakers are coming off the best season in program history, finishing 15-2-3 with both the Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships and a berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

“Considering NCAA scheduling requirements, we focused on keeping our ‘strength-of-schedule” requirement respectable by scheduling all competitive teams in our region,” said Totty, who is entering his ninth season as head women’s soccer coach at Clayton State.

“We have no easy games. Our first game is as tough as our last game. We look forward to a challenging but successful season.”

The 2006 Laker schedule includes NCAA Division II National Tournament participants Catawba, Carson-Newman, Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum – all four teams from the South Atlantic Conference (SAC). In fact, Carson-Newman was ranked fourth in the final Division II Top 25 poll after advancing the “Final Four” of the NCAA Division II National Tournament. Those four teams were also ranked in the final Division II Top 25 poll.

In addition, four more opponents were ranked in the final Division II South Atlantic Region. That includes Peach Belt rivals Columbus State and UNC-Pembroke, as well as Newberry and Wingate from the SAC.

The Lakers open the 2006 season at Wingate on Aug. 26 at 7 p.m., followed by an early season showdown at Carson-Newman on Sept. 3 at 2 p.m. Clayton State then opens Peach Belt play on Sept. 8 at North Georgia, and then plays it home opener on Sept. 10 against Catawba at 5 p.m. at Laker Field.