DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) – The Loras College Men's Soccer team released their 2015 schedule on Tuesday, which features four teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament a season ago. After finishing last season at 17-3-2 and ranked No. 10, the Duhawks will feature yet another grueling schedule that will test them all season long. Loras returns 24 letter winners from a season ago, who advanced to the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA Tournament.

The Duhawks open their 2015 campaign on the road against UW-Oshkosh on September 1. In last year's meeting, Mike Pizzello provided the late heroics, scoring with 19 seconds left on the clock to secure the 2-2 draw. The Titans will be playing their final year of soccer as a program after the university cut the program due to budget cuts in the state of Wisconsin.

Last year's National Runner-Up Wheaton College will come to the Rock Bowl on September 8 for one of the biggest non-conference matchups of the season. The Thunder finished the 2014 season with a 22-4 record and return their top scorer in Stephen Golz who tallied 21 goals and three assists in 26 games. Wheaton will have a new face on the sideline in 2015 as Jake DeClute was named head coach following the departure of Dr. Michael Giuliano.

It will be the first meeting between the two powerhouses since 2013, when Loras handed Wheaton a 2-nil defeat inside Joe Bean Stadium.

Before the Iowa Conference schedule begins on September 26, the Duhawks will face stiff competition in the week prior.

In a rematch from 2014, Loras travels to Chicago to face the Maroons of the University of Chicago. A NCAA Tournament team from a season ago, the Maroons will feel the effect of the departure from a large senior class. They return their leading scorer, Desai Brenton-Neal, who finished with nine goals and two assists.

After a stop in Greencastle, Indiana to face DePauw, the Duhawks will make their way to Macomb, Illinois for a showdown with Division I Western Illinois. The two sides were set to play last season, but inclement weather prevented the contest from happening. The Leathernecks finished the 2014 season with a 9-7-3 mark, falling in the Summit League Tournament Final to Denver University.

The road to a 10th Iowa Conference Championship begins with a home contest against Simpson on September 26. Last season, the Duhawks cruised to an undefeated mark in conference play, highlighted by a 3-1 win over Wartburg College.

This year, Loras will host Simpson, Coe, and Luther in the Rock Bowl for Iowa Conference contests. The Duhawks will be on the road when they face Central, Wartburg, Buena Vista, and the University of Dubuque.

Mixed in with their Iowa Conference schedule, Loras will host two non-conference matches against UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville. Last season, the Duhawks opened their season with a resounding 3-nil win over the Warhawks. Later in the year, the Pioneers upended Loras in overtime, 1-nil.

While each and every Iowa Conference match will carry significance, the one circled on many calendars is the clash with Wartburg on October 10. While the rivalry match has typically been at the end of the regular season, this year it is the third conference contest for Loras. After claiming the IIAC Tournament Title on penalties over Loras, the Knights were bounced from the NCAA Tournament in the "Sweet 16" on a 5-nil margin by Wheaton.

Wartburg will be without their leading scorer from a season ago in Dan Nadeau, who tallied 12 goals and 10 assists. They'll turn to Zubeen Azari (9G-1A) and Paris Martins (7G-6A) to shoulder the offensive load left by Nadeau.

Following Loras' bout on October 17 against Luther, the Duhawks will have non-conference contests against St. Thomas and UW-Platteville.

Loras will be looking for payback against St. Thomas, who was responsible for one of the Duhawks' three losses last season. The Tommies weathered the storm and capitalized on their two scoring chances of the afternoon to give Loras their first loss at home in nearly three years.

Three days after their trip to Minnesota, the Duhawks will return to the comforts of the Rock Bowl for their final home contest of the regular season. Last year, UW-Platteville earned the highlight of their season with a 1-nil overtime win against Loras at home. The last time these two teams met in the Rock Bowl, the Duhawks were victorious by a dominating 5-nil margin.

After having their season cut short in 2014, Head Coach Dan Rothert will have his crew ready and rearing to go come September when they take the pitch for the first time. Despite the departure of a core senior group, Rothert has assembled an incoming recruiting class, with the help of Associate Head Coach Matt Pucci that will help to fill the void left by those seniors.