The Georgia Southern University men’s soccer team will spend a full season playing under the lights at Eagle Field in 2013 with 17 games total, eight of them coming at home.

“We are very excited about the 2013 season,” head coach Kevin Kennedy said. “We feel like we have put together a very challenging schedule and are pleased to be hosting eight matches at Eagle Field. Our schedule includes some continued rivalries, but we have also added some great games out of conference that will test us, with trips to Duke and our season finale at James Madison.”

Last year GSU won the 2012 Southern Conference/Big South Challenge, and beginning Aug. 30 the team will defend that title at Eagle Field.

Opening day of the 2013 tournament, which is part of Alumni Day for the Eagles, features a neutral site game between Wofford College and Gardner-Webb University before the Eagles host Winthrop.

The final day of the tournament starts with Wofford playing Winthrop at noon, followed by a match between GSU and Gardner-Webb.

Following the SoCon/Big South Challenge, GSU will hit the road for five games including a trip to Duke on Sept. 10.

The Eagles will play Mercer University on Sept. 15th.  GSU will be looking to change its luck against the Bears considering the team has dropped the last four meetings by a combined score of 5-1.

GSU will be back at home on Sept. 24 for a match against Presbyterian College before finally beginning SoCon play on Sunday, Sept. 29, against Davidson College.  GSU pulled out a 2-0 victory in the last meeting between the teams.

A week after that, the Eagles will host Wofford on Saturday, Oct. 5, for the 2013 White Out game. GSU has owned Wofford in the overall series with a 14-3-4 record.

The 2013 “Battle of the GSUs” will happen on Friday, Oct. 10 with the 2013 Junior Eagle Club game.

The Eagles go back on the road on Tuesday, Oct. 15, with a trip to Elon University.

Senior Day for GSU will be Saturday, Oct. 19, against Appalachian State University.  The Eagles have lost the last three contests against the Mountaineers, but Senior Day could give the guys the boost they need to get over the hump.

The Eagles close out the 2013 regular season with three straight road games. Showdowns with University of North Carolina at Greensboro on Oct. 26 and Furman University on Oct. 29 will wrap-up the SoCon portion of the schedule. GSU plays its final game of the regular season on Nov. 3 at James Madison University.