For the first time in nearly a year, the Kent State field hockey and soccer teams know who their next opponent will be.

Like all Kent State fall sports, the teams’ seasons were pushed back by the Mid-American Conference due to considerations for the spread of COVID-19.

The MAC has started to release spring schedules for the sports that were postponed, and both field hockey and soccer play their first game in March.

The field hockey schedule will be conference-only, with the exception of a two game series against Bellarmine University on March 19 and 20. Bellarmine is set to join the MAC as a field hockey-only member for the 2020-21 season.

The MAC will not hold a field hockey conference tournament at the end of the regular season. The regular season champion will receive the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

The Flashes soccer team will open up its own conference-only season March 4, at Dix Stadium against Buffalo at 7:00 p.m. 

They will follow up with a Wagon Wheel Showdown against the University of Akron on March 7 and their first road match against Miami University on March 14. 

All matches in the conference will be played Thursday through Saturday of each week.

“We are really looking forward to being able to compete this spring. As always we expect a very challenging conference schedule and the team is thrilled to get back out there,” said soccer coach Rob Marinaro.

MAC soccer will also have no conference tournament this season. Instead the regular-season winner of the East and West divisions will play in a conference championship game. 

The program with the best winning percentage will be the host, and the winner of that game will go to the NCAA tournament. The Flashes are seeking to return to the national tournament for the first time since 2016. 

Dante is a sports reporter. Contact him at [email protected].

Owen is sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].

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Hi, I’m Lauren Sasala, a senior journalism student from Toledo. I’m also the editor in chief of The Kent Stater and KentWired this semester. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important news about Kent State and the Kent community. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate.