FAIRFAX, Va. – Matchups against four 2016 NCAA Tournament teams and nine home games highlight the 2017 George Mason men's soccer schedule.

On Monday, head coach Greg Andrulis announced the 2017 schedule, which includes games against NCAA Tournament participants Coastal Carolina (home), Albany (away), East Tennessee State (home) and Fordham (home).

"The 2017 schedule is quite exciting. We have some terrific teams coming to Mason this fall," Andrulis said. "Our non-conference slate includes numerous teams that participated in the NCAA Tournament and several teams who played in their conference championship games. Those matches will be great preparation for the A-10. Starting the regular season against a perennial NCAA Tournament participant and Top 20 program Coastal Carolina will be a great way to start the 2017 campaign, at home in front of a big Mason Nation crowd. We are really looking forward to it."

The Patriots will open the season on Aug. 25 against Coastal Carolina at George Mason Stadium. Coastal Carolina won the Sun Belt Conference and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Radford. In the second round, the Chanticleers suffered a 2-0 loss to Wake Forest, which reached the national championship game.

Mason will also host crosstown foe American, Binghamton, West Virginia and East Tennessee State in non-conference action. The Patriots will hit the road for out-of-conference matchups against Albany, Siena and Longwood.

Albany finished the season ranked 17th in the country in the NSCAA Coaches poll. Albany received a national seed and first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament after winning the America East Tournament. The Great Danes defeated Boston College before falling to Clemson in the third round and finishing with a 13-6-2 mark.

ETSU went 12-5-3, including a victory over Mason, and reached the Southern Conference championship game. Despite falling to Mercer on penalty kicks in the league's title game, the Buccaneers received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament thanks to an RPI in the low 30s.  

In addition, American (Patriot League) and Longwood (Big South) both reached their conference title games.

In Atlantic 10 Conference play, the Patriots will host league tournament champ Fordham, along with regular-season champ Saint Louis, VCU and Massachusetts. Mason will hit the road to face George Washington, Saint Joseph's, St. Bonaventure and Dayton.

Fordham won the A-10 tournament crown last year, defeating VCU in penalty kicks. Fordham advanced to the NCAA Tournament, falling to Boston College in the opening round. Saint Louis, a perennial soccer power, won the A-10 regular-season crown.

UMass makes its first trip to Fairfax since 2013. The Minutemen are coached by Fran O'Leary, who was the head coach at Mason from 2001-04.

Prior to the regular season, Mason will play three exhibition matches. The Patriots will host VMI on Aug. 13 and welcome in former CAA foe Delaware on Aug. 16. The Blue Hens won the CAA tournament title and reached the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Mason will wrap up preseason play with an exhibition game against another former CAA opponent, Old Dominion, on Aug. 19 in Norfolk, Va.

2017 Men's Soccer Schedule

Aug. 25                 Coastal Carolina
Aug. 27                 American
Sept. 1                  at Albany
Sept. 3                  at Siena
Sept. 8                  Binghamton
Sept. 16                West Virginia
Sept. 20                East Tennessee State
Sept. 23                at Longwood
Sept. 30                Fordham*
Oct. 4                   at George Washington*
Oct. 7                   at Saint Joseph's*
Oct. 14                 Saint Louis*
Oct. 18                  VCU*
Oct. 21                  at St. Bonaventure*
Oct. 28                  Massachusetts*
Nov. 1                   at Dayton*
Nov. 4-5                A-10 Tournament Quarterfinals (TBD)
Nov. 10-12            A-10 Semifinals/Championship Game (at Dayton)

Bold indicates home game
*indicates Atlantic 10 contest