The reigning Missouri Valley Conference regular season soccer champions open the 2023 season next month, as the Valpo soccer program unveiled its schedule for the upcoming campaign — a slate which features eight home matches — on Friday.

After exhibition matches during the preseason against Oakland (Aug. 6) and at Notre Dame (Aug. 12), the Beacons start off the regular season with a pair of matches on Brown Field, welcoming Eastern Illinois (Aug. 17) and Northern Illinois (Aug. 20) to town. Valpo will also host Chicago State (Aug. 31) during preconference action.

The early-season road slate is highlighted by a weekend swing against a pair of power conference foes, as Valpo heads to Purdue (Aug. 24) and Kentucky (Aug. 27). The Beacons conclude the nonconference schedule with three consecutive road matches, hitting the road to face Purdue Fort Wayne (Sept. 3), Youngstown State (Sept. 8) and Eastern Michigan (Sept. 10).

Valpo begins defense of its regular season title on Sept. 21 with a trip downstate to take on Evansville, followed by a Sept. 24 fixture at Indiana State. Other road conference matches include trips to Drake (Oct. 8), Southern Illinois (Oct. 12) and the regular season finale at UIC (Oct. 22).

The first of five home MVC matches comes on Sept. 28, as defending MVC tournament champion Missouri State returns to Brown Field. The Beacons will also host Murray State (Oct. 1), Illinois State (Oct. 5), Belmont (Oct. 15) and UNI (Oct. 19) in conference play.

The 2023 MVC Tournament begins Oct. 26 and runs through Nov. 5. The top eight teams in the conference standings will vie for the tournament title and the corresponding berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Valpo returns 18 letterwinners, including nine starters, from last year’s squad which went 7-1-2 in MVC play to claim the program’s first regular season title as a member of the Valley. The Beacons have posted a 16-4-6 record in regular season Valley action over the last three seasons.