2012 Schedule 

COLUMBIA, Ky. -- The march to defend its NAIA National Championship was released by Lindsey Wilson men's soccer coach Ray Wells on Thursday, showcasing a schedule with five dates against teams from last season's championship field.

The 2012 campaign kicks off at 7 p.m. CT on Aug. 21 in what will also be the Mid-South Conference opener as Pikeville (Ky.) travels to Walter S. Reuling stadium to begin the season.

From there the Blue Raiders take to the road for another pair of conference matchups, at St. Catharine (Ky.) on Aug. 25 and Shawnee State (Ohio) on Aug. 27.

After the early trio of MSC competition, Lindsey Wilson jumps into the non-conference slate against St. Xavier (Ill.) back at home on Sept. 1. St. Xavier lost to eventual national runner-up Hastings (Neb.) in the second round of last season's NAIA National Championship.

St. Xavier marks the start of a five-game home stand for the Blue Raiders which also includes matchups with Huston-Tillotson (Texas) on Sept. 3, Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) on Sept. 8, Campbellsville (Ky.) on Sept. 11 and Vanguard (Calif.) on the 14th.

Huston-Tillotson also made a second-round exit at last season's national championship.

Lindsey Wilson takes a one-game break from playing at home on Sept. 17 with a game against Florida Memorial in Montgomery, Ala., before returning to Columbia, Ky., to face the two newest MSC members, Bluefield (Va.) on Sept. 19 and Cumberland (Tenn.) on the 25th.

One of the marquee matchups on the conference slate is scheduled for Sept. 29 at Rio Grande (Ohio). The RedStorm finished last season in the quarterfinals of the national championship and were ranked fifth in the Postseason NAIA Coaches' Top-25 Poll.

The Blue Raiders beat Rio Grande (3-2) in overtime on the road last season before winning again 2-1 in the finals of the MSC Tournament in Rio Grande.

Lindsey Wilson plays two more home games in October to close the season, against Bryan (Tenn.) on Oct. 13 and Martin Methodist (Tenn.) on Oct. 30. In between those dates is a road game against NAIA quarterfinalist Grand View (Iowa) on Oct. 17 in St. Louis, Mo.

The Blue Raiders wrapped up the NAIA National Championship in 2011 with a 3-2 overtime win against Hastings to finish the season with an unblemished 23-0 record.

Postseason play in 2012 begins with the MSC Tournament, starting with first-round play on campus sites on Nov. 3, followed be the last two rounds hosted by Lindsey Wilson at Walter S. Reuling Stadium on Nov. 7-8.

This year's NAIA National Championship begins with opening-round play on campus sites on Nov. 17, with the remaining rounds moving to the Emory Folmar YMCA Soccer Complex in Montgomery, Ala., on Nov. 26-Dec. 1.