UConn swimming coach Bob Goldberg has announced the schedule this week for the upcoming 2014-15 men’s and women’s swimming and diving season.
The Huskies kick off the season on Oct. 18 when the women’s team hosts Yale, Central Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island at the Wolff-Zackin Natatorium at 12 p.m. Connecticut will host five meets at Storrs throughout the season, including its Homecoming Alumni Meet (Nov. 1) and the UConn Open (Feb. 7).
Following road meets against Villanova, Fordham and Pennsylvania, UConn heads to the Louisville Invitational (Nov. 21-23), where they will compete against Louisville, Tennessee and one or two other schools that will be announced later. The Cardinals, who are now a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), won the inaugural American Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships last season.
The invitational is one of two demanding meets for the Huskies this fall, as Connecticut travels to Providence, R.I. two weeks later to take part in the Brown Invitational, which will run from Dec. 5-7.
“The Louisville Invitational will be one of the highest quality midseason meets that we have ever attended,” Goldberg said. “We will be challenged in the middle of our season and we hope that all pays off when we go to the conference meet next February.”
Connecticut is set to once again participate in the Copa Coqui Invitational in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Jan. 4. Last season at the meet, which featured over 500 swimmers, UConn freshman Christine Pedersen (Vinterbro, Norway) won the 100-meter backstroke, while junior Felix Samuels (London, England) earned second place honors in the 100-meter freestyle.
The Huskies will host Boston College and Seton Hall for their Senior Weekend (Jan. 24-25) before traveling to Hanover, N.H. to face Dartmouth on Jan. 31. Last season, the UConn men’s swimming and diving team defeated the Big Green, who are one of three opponents (Villanova, Pennsylvania) Connecticut faces for the second consecutive year this season.
UConn travels to Greensboro, N.C. for the American Athletic Conference Championships (Feb. 18-21), which takes place at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, the site of the 2015 Women’s NCAA Championships. The Huskies will look to build on a strong showing at last season’s conference meet when a total of 12 swimmers and divers earned All-Conference honors, as they face conference newcomers Eastern Carolina and Tulane for the first time at the meet.
“With Louisville and Rutgers leaving the conference and new schools coming into the league there will be new challenges,” Goldberg said. “We think we have a good shot at contending for both the men’s and women’s conference championships this season.”
