Schedule thoughts and predictions

Sat., Sept. 1 vs. NYU
NYU was the biggest surprise in the final four from last year. This is a great opening game to gear where you are as a team, NYU only graduated four of their seniors so a good portion of the final four team is still around.

Prediction: NYU wins 1-0, Jays will probably dominate the game but struggle to score.

Sun., Sept. 2 vs. Skidmore
Skidmore is traveling to China for ten days in the preseason from August 15-25 and to come back with the time difference and play two games a week later spells disaster for them.

Prediction: Blue Jays major bounce back game 4-0.

These opening games are in the Stevens Tech Tourny

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Fri., Sept. 7 ST. VINCENT
First home game of the year in the Blue Jay Classic, typical push over competition. St. Vincent, an NAIA team will have their heads spinning with the Blue Jays.

Prediction: 5-0 Blue Jays flying high. Important thing to watch out for here is who scores the first HOME goal of the season for the Jays. As is tradition first goal gets their name put up just under the scoreboard. Last two years it's been Wes Bunting. I'll predict he doesn't get it again.

Sat., Sept. 8 HAMPDEN-SYDNEY

Tough opponent from Virginia in this game.

Prediction: 2-0 Blue Jays

The Blue Jay Classic (hats off to the scheduling on this tourny, Friday and Saturday so we can all watch the opening weekend of the NFL without having to worry about the Jays against a so-so team)

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The rest of the games I will just make a quick prediction on, when we get closer to the actual game I will revisit an make more accurate prediction.


Thu., Sept. 13 DREW 1-0 Blue Jays
Sat., Sept. 15 ALVERNIA 3-1 Blue Jays
Wed., Sept. 19 MUHLENBERG 2-2 Draw
Sat., Sept. 22 at Wilkes 2-0 Blue Jays
Wed., Sept. 2 ALBRIGHT 4-0 Blue Jays
Sat., Sept. 29 ARCADIA 1-0 Arcadia
Wed., Oct. 3 at Moravian 1-0 Blue Jays
Sat., Oct. 6 WILLIAM PATERSON 1-0 Blue Jays
Tue., Oct. 9 at Franklin & Marshall 0-0 Draw - Das Boot goes back to F&M because of a lame rule
Sat., Oct. 13 at Lebanon Valley 3-1 Blue Jays
Wed., Oct. 17 at Lycoming 1-0 Lycoming on the upset
Sat., Oct. 20 WIDENER 2-1 Blue Jays
Mon., Oct. 22 WHEATON (IL) 3-0 Wheaton (National Runners-Up last year just before the National Champions spells let down)
Sat., Oct. 27 MESSIAH 1-0 Blue Jays, major bounce back in Marshmallow Cup

Final record: 12-4-2 (4-1)

Overall thoughts on the schedule: Very challenging with three of the four final four teams from last year. Tons of home games though. They only go on the road back-to-back-to to open the season and once in October for two conference games and the F&M game. That will be a tough stretch but very doable.

Good news for Blue Jays is 8 of their 11 home games are night games, only Homecoming against Widener and William Patterson game are slated for the afternoon. Of course the Messiah game is moved to the early afternoon to ruin the game, whoops, I meant to prevent students from consuming alcohol before the game.

Three words for that plan... Kegs and Eggs.

If the Blue Jays are successful with this schedule and don't win the MAC Playoffs the committee has to show some love to the Jays facing some of the best out of conference teams in the country.

Less than a month till the season...