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BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech women’s soccer program announced its competitive 2012 schedule, highlighted by nine 2011 NCAA Tournament participants, released Tuesday by second-year head coach Chugger Adair. The Hokies are coming off their fourth-straight ACC and NCAA Tournament appearances, while making a run all the way to the Sweet 16 at NCAAs last season.

After the squad travels to Harrisonburg, Va., for a scrimmage against James Madison, Tech will officially begin the 2012 season five days later, Friday Aug. 17, as it hosts the seventh annual Virginia Tech Tournament. The Hokies will welcome Wake Forest, Richmond and UNC Wilmington to Blacksburg, but only face the Spiders and Seahawks throughout the weekend.

The following Friday (Aug. 24), Tech will travel to Lincoln, Neb., to face Nebraska and two days later play Iowa State on the Huskers’ campus. The Hokies will return home for a contest against Mount St. Mary’s on Friday, Aug. 31, before hitting the road again for a date against American two days later.

Before entering conference play, Tech will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., on Friday, Sept. 7, for the Wake Forest Tournament to battle 2011 NCAA Tournament participant, Illinois, and the University of Massachusetts.

Tech will kick off the rigorous conference schedule a week later, hosting NC State on Sunday, Sept. 16. The Wolfpack was one of just two ACC teams that did not get a bid to the NCAA Tournament last season. Four days later, the Hokies will hit to road to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face North Carolina. Tech defeated the Tar Heels last season for only the second time in program history.

After returning from North Carolina, the Hokies will return home for four consecutive home games. Tech will host NCAA Tournament participants: Boston College (Sept. 23), Maryland (Sept. 30), and NCAA runner-up Duke (Oct. 4). The Hokies will complete the four-game homestand on Sunday, Oct. 7, for a non-conference match up against Oklahoma. This will be the first meeting between the Hokies and Sooners.

Tech will later hit the road for a challenging three-game road swing, traveling to Florida to face NCAA semi-finalist Florida State on Thursday, Oct. 11, and continue down South for a Sunday contest against Miami. Tech will then travel to Clemson four days later.

The Hokies will conclude the regular season with two conference squads that finished 2011 ranked in the top 10. On Sunday, Oct. 21, Tech hosts Virginia, before traveling a week later to Winston-Salem, N.C., to face Wake Forest.

The ACC Championship begins Oct. 28 with quarterfinal games at designated home sites, while the semifinals and finals will be Nov. 2 and 4 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_WSoccer).