-7 p.m. Aug. 30: Football vs. Indianapolis

After they were caught looking ahead in 2011, head coach Lee Owens insists that the Eagles are taking the 2012 season one game at a time. So it only makes sense that when I asked Owens which was the biggest game of the season, he pointed to the first game on the schedule.

I’m not going to argue. Last year, the Eagles and Greyhounds clashed in what became an instant classic. In the fourth overtime, running back Jordan McCune – now a sophomore – bulled his way into the end zone to give the Eagles a 39-36 victory in the first home game of the season.

They Greyhounds return with much of the same team from last season, and you can be sure they’ll have revenge on their mind. Quarterback Chris Mills, who threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns in last year’s game, will be fresh from the Eagles’ nightmares.

Even though Indy is no longer a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent – they now compete in the Great Lakes Valley Conference – this is a game that could go a long way towards setting the tone for the season. Jack Miller Stadium should be packed for this one under the lights on a Thursday night. You don’t want to be the one who missed it – especially if it rivals the intensity of last year’s home opener.

-7 p.m. Sept. 8: Football vs. Wayne State

I know, I know. I’m taking this one game at a time thing way too far, aren’t I? But wait! I really believe that Ashland’s toughest two games will be its first two. Just nine days after the big home opener against Indy, the Eagles play another team that they beat in the waning moments last year. This time it is last year’s national runner-up, Wayne State.

The Warriors will want this one bad. Less than a year after Gregg Berkshire’s homecoming game-winning field goal, Wayne State returns to Fred Martinelli Field – much like Indy – with revenge on its mind. With Berkshire gone, the Eagles will hope it isn’t as close this time.

This could also be a chance to really ratchet up the excitement for Ashland football. If hometown quarterback Taylor Housewright can lead his team to victories in both of these first two games at home, word will start to spread that this season could be one for the ages. Lose, and the reaction could be just the opposite.

One game at a time, right coach Owens?

-2 p.m. Sept. 9: Men’s soccer vs. Tiffin

This should really be a Friday night game. I guess I’ll blame the GLIAC for that one. But the Browns are going to get their butts kicked in their season-opener against the Eagles anyway, so why not come out to Ferguson Field and enjoy some quality soccer?

Tiffin and Ashland are separated by just 50 miles and are almost always at the top of the GLIAC South in men’s soccer. Needless to say, these teams do not like each other. They may want to wait until after this game to go to church that Sunday, because things could get ugly.

Last year, the Dragons had Ashland’s number. Though they played to a scoreless draw at Ferguson Field in September, a 3-1 loss in late October on the road left the Eagles cold. It was their only loss in the last six games of the season and was the nail in the coffin that kept them out of the GLIAC Tournament, which Tiffin won.

To add to the drama, Ashton Campbell – who scored a goal and had an assist for the Dragons against AU last October – has switched sides. Ashland head coach Jon Freeman brought him on as an assistant this season. This will be the first time he coaches against his old team.

-7 p.m. Oct. 3: Women’s soccer vs. Ohio Dominican

AU women’s soccer should be an exciting team to watch. Head coach Glenn Francis is in his third year, and he has already brought the program from the basement of the GLIAC to being a legitimate contender. Last year, the Eagles grabbed the third seed in the conference tournament and lost in the championship to perennial power Grand Valley State.

The biggest home game for the Eagles should be their Oct. 3 showdown against Ohio Dominican. Perhaps nothing showed AU’s improvement from the beginning of last season to the end more than its three games against the Panthers. After losing 2-0 on the road in September and 1-0 at home in October, the Eagles beat ODU 4-3 in a shootout in the GLIAC semifinals.

This matchup comes in the middle of a five-game home stand, a stretch that will be very important in determining where the Eagles place in the conference at the end of the year.

-6 p.m. Oct. 10: Volleyball vs. Findlay

Ok, I promise I won’t make any girls in spandex jokes.

If football Senior Day doesn’t take it out of you, then hop on over to Kates Gymnasium, where it will be Senior Night for Brittany Snider and Crystal Elliot. The two have been mainstays on Ashland’s roster for four years. To make the day even more special, the match will be against bitter rival Findlay.

Last year, the Eagles squeaked out a 3-2 victory at home against the Oilers but suffered a disappointing 3-1 loss at UF’s Croy Gymnasium near the end of the season. It could be an important match in deciding the GLIAC regular season championship and earning a spot in the NCAA tournament.

If that isn’t enough to get you excited, there will be GIRLS IN SPANDEX. (I know, I promised. I’m sorry. But seriously, there won’t be a home volleyball match until Sept. 21 when the Eagles play Michigan Tech, and there are only nine regular season home matches all year. Enjoy it while you can.)