ROCK ISLAND – The Augustana Vikings men's soccer team will open the 2023 season in Indianola, Iowa on Friday, September 1 when they face the Simpson Storm. The team will then return to Rock Island on Sunday, September 3 for their home debut against the visiting Carleton Knights.

The Vikings are under new direction this season, with head coach Chad Flanders looking to turn around a program that posted a 0-14-2 record last fall. With an influx of fresh talent and nearly 20 contributors returning from a season ago, Augustana will aim to turn their narrow defeats from a season ago into tallies in the win column. 

Goalkeeper Benjamin Samuelson is coming off a strong season in net, accumulating 72 saves last fall to rank 14th in program history for saves in a single season. His in-box performance translated to a 5.14 saves per game average, which ranks as the sixth-best mark for a goalie in team history. Patrick Mayer and Steven Zuccheri, who each logged over 1000 minutes last fall, are also back this season to help the Vikings' defensive effort. 

Augie opens their weekend with a non-conference bout against Simpson on Friday. The Storm finished the 2022 season with a 12-4-3 overall record and went 1-1 in postseason action.

Augustana holds an 8-7-3 edge over Simpson in the all-time series, with their last meeting against the Storm resulting in a 1-0 home loss on September 1, 2022. Following a strike from Simpson around the 15-minute mark, neither team could muster enough momentum to alter the scoreboard the rest of the way as the Vikings fell in their season-opener. Samuelson recorded three saves in 90 minutes of action. Start time on Friday is set for 7 p.m

The Vikings will enjoy a day of rest before their home debut on Sunday when they welcome in Carleton for just the second-ever meeting between the programs. The first matchup came during the 1994 season, with the Vikings falling 1-0. 

The Knights posted an 8-7-3 overall record a season ago, dropping their lone game of postseason action. Start time on Sunday is scheduled for 3 p.m. from Thorson-Lucken Field.

Live video and stat links can be found here.