TEANECK, N.J. - Fairleigh Dickinson women's soccer announced its 2021 schedule on Tuesday as the Knights return to play in the traditional fall competition season.

This year's slate features 18 matches beginning on August 19, including eight non-conference fixtures being Northeast Conference play begins in the second half of the season.

Head Coach Eric Teepe remarked, "As a team we are extremely excited to get back to our fight for a NEC crown. We are hopeful that our non-conference schedule will set us up to be prepared for such a run. Starting the year against Big Ten power Rutgers and then ACC member Syracuse will help start that process. Then, having potentially NCAA tournament-bound and previous tournament teams like Stony Brook, Columbia, Loyola Maryland and Saint Joseph will lead us into NEC play. Rounding out our schedule with Fordham and Seton Hall will test us in every game."

"Let the 2021 FDU fall women's soccer season begin," Teepe concluded excitedly.

The Burgundy and Blue will travel south on the Turnpike to Rutgers to open the 2021 campaign on August 19. The match will be the first contest between the two Garden State schools since 2007. Staying in the Tri-State Area, FDU heads north to Syracuse for a match with the Orange on August 22.

On August 26, the 2019 Northeast Conference Tournament runner-up will head to the City of Brotherly Love as the side takes on St. Joseph's. Following the match with the Hawks, FDU will travel to the Bronx to face Fordham on August 29.

Before welcoming Stony Brook on September 9, the Knights will travel to South Orange to face the Seton Hall Pirates on September 2 followed by a trip to Baltimore for a battle with Loyola Maryland (Sept. 5).

FDU will close out the 2021 non-conference schedule with a trip across the George Washington Bridge on September 12 as the Knights visit Columbia.

Bergen County's own will play host to their first NEC fixtures of the season as Saint Francis U (Pa.) pays the Knights a visit on September 19, followed by Mount St. Mary's four days later (Sept. 23).

Teepe's squad will then travel for three consecutive games heading to LIU (Sept. 26), Merrimack (Sept. 30) and Sacred Heart (Oct. 7), before hosting Central Connecticut State on October 10.

Hitting the road for a local stop, the Knights head to Staten Island to face Wagner on October 14. Returning home, FDU is slated to play host to Bryant on October 17.

FDU's final scheduled road trip of the 2021 regular season takes the squad to St. Francis Brooklyn on October 24.

The Knights will close-out the regular season with a home match against new NEC associate member Howard on Halloween.

Information regarding the 2021 NEC Tournament is forthcoming. Kickoff times are available at FDUKnights.com. Schedule subject to change.

Fans can watch every Knights home match for free on NEC Front Row and follow along all-season long on Twitter and Instagram, @FDUKnightsWSOC.