GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Four NCAA Tournament opponents and 10 matches against teams with winning records a year ago highlights the 2015 Tusculum College women's soccer schedule. (2015 Schedule)

Head coach Mike Joy, who is entering his 18th season on the Tusculum sideline, returns 21 letter-winners and seven starters from last year's 10-7-2 squad that finished sixth in the South Atlantic Conference.

The Pioneers will take on an 18-match schedule that includes nine opponents who finished with double-digit victories in 2014.

Tusculum will open its season with a pair of matches in Columbus, Georgia beginning with a Sept. 4th contest against the University of West Florida. The West Florida contest will mark the 500th women's soccer match in Tusculum history. It will also be the second contest between the Pioneers and the Argonauts, but the first since the inaugural meeting 25 years ago (1991). West Florida posted a 12-6 record, finished third in the Gulf South Conference, while advancing to the semifinal round of the league tournament. The Argos will serve as hosts of the NCAA Division II national semifinal and final in December.

Tusculum will close out its Columbus trip against perennial national power University of Tampa. The Spartans finished fourth in the Sunshine State Conference standings, but mounted a strong postseason push and advanced all the way to the SSC Tournament final. Tampa finished the year with a 13-4-4 record as Tusculum posted a scoreless draw against the then No. 15-ranked Spartans on Sept. 12, 2014 in St. Augustine, Florida.

Tusculum will face in-state regional foe King University on Sept. 9th in Bristol. The Tornado ended the year with a 10-8 record and finished fifth in Conference Carolinas. Tusculum leads the all-time series 12-1 including last year's 1-0 decision in Greeneville.

The Pioneers open the home portion of its schedule Sept. 11th when they host Union University in the inaugural meeting. The Bulldogs make the trip from Jackson, Tennessee following last year's 3-13 campaign, while finishing 10th in the Gulf South Conference.

Tusculum hosts Ohio Dominican two days later on Sept. 13th at Pioneer Field. TC defeated the Panthers 2-1 in last year's season-opener in Columbus, Ohio. ODU responded by posting one of its best seasons in program history. The Panthers rattled off a 15-5-1 record, won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and earned ODU's first NCAA postseason appearance. Ohio Dominican finished as finalists in the GLIAC Tournament and was paced by a 10-match winning streak at the end of the year.

Tusculum opens its 17th SAC season on Sept. 16th as the Pioneers travel to Queens University of Charlotte. The Royals finished seventh in the league with an 8-9-2 overall record, including a 1-0 road loss at Tusculum in last year's SAC lid-lifter.

The Pioneers remain on the road on Sept. 19th to take on defending SAC champion Lenoir-Rhyne University. The Bears, who ended the season ranked 11th in the nation, posted a 16-4-3 record and advanced to the NCAA Southeast Region championship match. A familiar face will be on the LR sidelines as former Tusculum assistant men's coach Gary Higgins has taken over the reins of the women's program at his alma mater.

On Sept. 23rd, Tusculum hosts in-state rival Lincoln Memorial University. LMU finished fourth in the SAC with a 9-4-3 overall mark including a 2-1 home triumph against the Pioneers. TC welcomes Anderson University on Sept. 26th as the Trojans look to improve upon last year's 7-10-1 record and eighth place showing in the conference. The Pioneers recorded a 4-1 road win at Anderson last season.

Tusculum will be on the road for back-to-back matches at Newberry College (Oct. 3) and Brevard College (Oct. 7).

Newberry advanced to the SAC Tournament semifinal in 2014 with a third-place league finish and a 10-5-4 worksheet. The Wolves snapped a seven-year losing streak to the Pioneers and recorded their first-ever win in Greeneville with a 5-1 victory over TC in the regular-season finale. The two teams met again in the SAC Tournament quarterfinal and played to a scoreless draw. Newberry advanced in the tournament, 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout.

Brevard posted 6-12 record last season, including three conference wins, the most since joining the SAC in 2007. Tusculum blanked the Tornados 4-0 last year at Pioneer Field.

Tusculum hosts Coker College on Oct. 11th for homecoming weekend. Tusculum's 2000 team will be celebrating its 15-year reunion of its SAC regular season and tournament championship squad. Former Pioneer Monica Perez will also be inducted to the program's "Wall of Fame" as well.

This will be the third meeting between the Pioneers and the Cobras. Coker went 5-12 last year including a 2-0 home loss to Tusculum. The Cobras tied for ninth place in the league standings.

The Pioneers step outside of SAC play on Oct. 14th when they welcome Georgia College in their inaugural visit to Greeneville. The Bobcats went 7-10-1 last year and finished seventh in the Peach Belt Conference.

Tusculum will play its next three matches on the road and all in North Carolina. TC travels to Mars Hill University on Oct. 17 to face the cross-mountain rival Lions. MHU went winless last year (0-16-1), including a 3-0 loss at Tusculum.

The Pioneers make a mid-week trip to Belmont Abbey College on Oct. 21st. The Crusaders went 12-7-2 last year and advanced to the NCAA II Tournament. Belmont Abbey tied for third place in Conference Carolinas and this will be the third meeting between TC and the Crusaders.

Tusculum travels to Catawba College on Oct. 24th as the Indians are coming off an 11-6-3 record and a fifth place showing in the league. The SAC Tournament semifinalist edged the Pioneers 1-0 in last year's encounter.

Tusculum hosts arch-rival Carson-Newman University on Oct. 27th. The Eagles went 3-14 last year, including a 1-0 home loss to the Pioneers.

TC will wrap up the regular season on Oct. 30th as the Pioneers welcome Wingate University. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 13-3-4 record and captured the 2014 SAC Tournament title. Wingate moved onto the NCAA Tournament where the Bulldogs advanced to the second round. Wingate edged Tusculum 1-0 in last year's encounter.

The South Atlantic Conference Tournament will begin on Nov. 3rd with quarterfinal matches held at campus sites. The semifinal and final round will once again be held at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

The NCAA II Tournament will begin Nov. 13th at campus sites and will culminate with the national semifinal and national championship to be conducted in Pensacola, Florida.

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