ANDERSON, S.C. - Non-conference tournaments at Clayton State and Lynn University, and four additional non-conference contests, along with a challenging nine-match South Atlantic Conference slate highlight Anderson's 2011 men's soccer schedule as released by head coach Rob Miller.

Anderson (15-6-2, 6-3 SAC) finished third in the South Atlantic Conference regular-season standings in 2010, but caught fire the second half of last season, winning five of its last six matches and 12 of its final 14 outings to capture the league tournament crown and notch its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The Trojans opened NCAA action by posting a tough road win past 25th-ranked Wingate and advanced to the Sweet 16 by upsetting the Southeast Region's top-seed and ninth-ranked Montevallo on the Falcon's home pitch, before falling to No. 19 Clayton State in the regional championship. AU was rewarded with a No. 17 ranking in the final NSCAA/HendrickCars.com NCAA Division II National Top 25 Poll.

Bolstered by the return of 19 letterwinners, including nine starters, the Trojans, who have won 40 matches over the past three seasons, will be looking for their fourth consecutive winning season and third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

"We have a very experienced team," said Miller. "Most of our guys have played together for three years and they have good chemistry. They play well together and know how to win."

The reigning SAC and Southeast Region Player of the Year, Lasse Sohrweide, returns for his senior campaign after ranking among the top 30 players in the nation in goals, assists, and points, while fellow all-conference selections James Moseley and forward Clement Samson will also suit up again for the Black and Gold.

Moseley helped anchor a defense that posted nine shutouts on the season and ranked third on the team with five goals. Samson,a native of Vannes, France, was second on the team with 12 goals, including four game-winners (USC Aiken, Mars Hill, Brevard and Carson-Newman).

In addition to the existing experience, Miller has added speed and depth with the talented newcomers.

"I feel like we have a really nice group of young players coming in that will be good additions to the team," added Miller. "And they have a good group of upperclassmen to mentor them and provide leadership and guidance so they'll be ready to take over the team when its time."

Despite setting a new school record for wins in a season last year, but the Trojans will not have an easy path back to the postseason. Anderson squares off against three teams that made appearances in last season's NCAA Tournament, three regular-season conference champions and another opponent that that claimed the National Christian College Athletic Association National Championship.

The Trojans open the 2011 campaign with back-to-back tournaments on the road, beginning with a challenging matchup at Clayton State's Laker Shootout. Clayton State is the reigning Peach Belt Conference regular-season co-champion and has won the PBC title five of the last 10 years. The Lakers reached the 2010 NCAA Elite 8, while finishing the season with a No. 5 national ranking.

Less than 24 hours later, AU squares off against a USC Aiken squad that is looking to bounce back from a subpar 2010 season, while featuring nine returning starters and 22 letterwinners.

Anderson follows up by traveling to Boca Raton, Fla., to participate in Lynn University's Tournament, facing Palm Beach Atlantic. The Sailfish claimed their fifth consecutive National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) South Region Championship last November, then won the national title by blanking Cedarville University 2-0.

The Trojans close out the season-opening four-match road trip by facing the host Black Knights, who posted an 8-8 overall slate last year.

"Our goal is to win the conference first of all and then get to the postseason," said Miller. "The schedule is very tough and success in our in-region games will be the key. It will help us for postseason consideration because our strength of schedule is very good.

Last season saw AU post an impressive 9-1 record in its inaugural season on the new Trojan Stadium pitch, and Miller's squad finally returns to its friendly confines to open SAC action and a season-high four-match homestand by playing host to Lenoir-Rhyne on Sept. 17.

AU briefly steps back out of league action as Francis Marion visits three days later, then Carson-Newman travels to Trojan Stadium for a conference matchup. The Eagles notched a sterling 8-1 record in league play last season, while earning a share of the SAC regular season title, along with Wingate. And after a brief absence from AU's schedule in 2010, Lees-McRae (13-5-3) closes out the homestand. As members of Conference Carolinas, the Trojans and Bobcats met on 15 occasions dating back to the 1998 campaign. Lees-McRae claimed its fourth straight Conference Carolinas regular-season title and fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance last season before falling to Clayton State.

The Trojans open the month of October with a four-match road swing at Catawba College, and follow up with a visit to Lander, which earned a 12-7 overall record and second place in the Peach Belt last season. AU wraps up the stretch at Mars Hill (Oct. 9) and Brevard (Oct. 12) before opening a brief two-match conference homestand with Tusculum on Oct. 15 and Newberry (Oct. 19).

Anderson visits Lincoln Memorial on Oct. 22 before closing out the road slate by traveling to rival Erskine on Oct. 26, while wrapping up the regular season by hosting Wingate. The Bulldogs went 15-4 overall last season and shared the SAC regular-season title with Carson-Newman. AU and Wingate met twice last season, with WU winning at home and the Trojans avenging the setback in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

"The South Atlantic Conference schedule will be tough," noted Miller. "There are several good teams in our league. We are very excited to get going. We have guys that want to be successful and are hungry to get back to where we were."