AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward's women's soccer is set to begin a new era in 2026, unveiling a challenging schedule that marks the first season under a new head coach in two decades. 
 
Nuno Gourgel arrives on the Hilltop after helping NCAA Division I Utah Valley as an assistant coach, bringing high expectations and an emphasis on respect, confidence, and trust. He makes his Hilltopper head coaching debut on Sunday, Aug. 30, when St. Edward's hosts Southwestern Oklahoma State at Lewis-Chen Family Field for Senior Day, celebrating program stewards like DARIA SCHLUMBOHM, RILEY SISSON, RAINEY SIMMONS, and ABIGAIL HALL. 
 
"I'm excited about this schedule, even though much of it was already in place before I arrived," Gourgel said. "It provides an incredible opportunity for the young women in our locker room to face five teams that regularly compete in the NCAA Tournament, including three perennial national championship contenders."
 
From there, St. Edward's hits the ground running with a trio of measuring stick games against elite competition. The Hilltoppers travel to Colorado to challenge No. 11 UCCS on Sept. 3, and after a Sept. 6 game against a quality Regis team, the team returns home to host No. 7 Nova Southeastern on Sept. 9. 
 
Lone Star Conference play opens at home Saturday, Sept. 12, against Lone Star Conference runner-up and NCAA Regional qualifier Texas Woman's University. Following a road trip to Oklahoma Christian on Sept. 16, the schedule settles into the rhythm of conference play with the schedule alternating between two home games and two road contests the rest of the way.
 
The Hilltoppers close their September home slate hosting West Texas A&M and Angelo State on Sept. 19 and 23. St. Edward's will host a Youth Day for local soccer girls during the West Texas A&M match, and invite the Hilltop community to celebrate its Faculty and Staff Day vs. Angelo State. 
 
St. Edward's and St. Mary's renew their Battle of the Saints rivalry in San Antonio on Sept. 26 before closing the month out with a trip to UT Tyler. 
 
October begins with another major test as the Hilltoppers host regionally ranked Midwestern State on Oct. 3 before hosting Eastern New Mexico on Oct. 7. From there, a trip to the Permian Basin to face UTPB on Oct. 10 is followed by a midweek matchup at UT Dallas on Oct. 14. 
 
The Hilltoppers final home matches of the regular season are in prime time, under the lights at Lewis-Chen Family Field, with St. Edward's welcoming Texas A&M International and defending LSC Champion, No. 5 Dallas Baptist on Oct. 21. 
 
St. Edward's closes the regular season with a trip to Lubbock for a rematch against Lubbock Christian, where St. Edward's advanced in last season's LSC Tournament on penalty kicks, before wrapping up conference play at Sul Ross State on Oct. 27. The LSC Tournament begins Oct. 30. 
 
"The Lone Star Conference is widely recognized as one of the toughest in Division II, and that's exactly the type of environment we want to be part of because it challenges our student-athletes to grow every day," Gourgel says. "This schedule gives our current players and future recruits a clear picture of the championship standard we're working toward while providing the opportunity to compete, learn, and measure themselves against some of the best programs in the country. We have tremendous respect for the challenge ahead, and we're excited to see what this group of young women is capable of accomplishing together."
 
All home matches and Lone Star Conference contests will be broadcast on the FloCollege network, while live stats provided by Stat Broadcast. Follow @seuwsoc and @seuathletics on Instagram for schedule updates, scores, promotions, and complete coverage throughout the 2026 season.