Soul reveal 2012 sked

PHILADELPHIA – The Arena Football League and the Philadelphia Soul have released the 2012 regular-season schedule and division alignments.  The Soul will open the regular season on Sunday, March 18 at New Orleans VooDoo, while the team’s home opener at Wells Fargo Center will be on Sunday, April 1 against Eastern Division rival, the Cleveland Gladiators.

The Soul will be in the American Conference and will be placed in the Eastern Division with the Cleveland Gladiators, Milwaukee Mustangs and Pittsburgh Power.  The ArenaBowl XXII champions will face a schedule where the combined 2011 record of their opponents is 164-160.

“There is no doubt that we will have a challenging schedule in 2012, especially the first four weeks,” said Soul head coach Doug Plank.  “With the ArenaBowl being in New Orleans this year, our challenge is to finish where we start as we kickoff against the VooDoo in Week 2.  We will definitely be looking forward to the best home-field advantage in the League when we open up against the division champion Cleveland Gladiators at the Wells Fargo Center on April 1.”

The Soul are slated to be the National NFL Network Game of the Week in Week 3 when they travel to play the Pittsburgh Power on March 23 and in Week 7 when they host the seven-time ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm at Wells Fargo Center on April 20.

Schedule highlights include:

·                     Week 2 at New Orleans; Kickoff season at the site of ArenaBowl XXV.

·                     Week 3 and 16 vs. Pittsburgh; “Keystone Collision”, divisional games against in-state rival on NFL Network on March 23.

·                     Week 4 vs. Cleveland; Home opener, a battle of Eastern Division rivals.

·                     Week 6 vs. San Jose; the re-match of ArenaBowl XXII at Wells Fargo Center.

·                     Week 7 vs. Tampa Bay; National Game of the Week on NFL Network on April 20.

·                     Week 8 and 13, vs. Orlando; Home and away against former Soul head coach Bret Munsey and the Predators.

·                     Week 10 vs. Jacksonville; Defending ArenaBowl champs come to Philadelphia.

·                     Weeks 18 and 20, Wrap up of regular season with home non-division games against, Spokane and Utah.

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PHILADELPHIA SOUL 2012 REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE

WEEK	OPPONENT	DATE	LOCATION	TIME*
1	BYE	--	--	--
2	New Orleans VooDoo	Sunday, March 18	Away	TBD
3	# Pittsburgh Power	Friday, March 23	Away	8 p.m.
4	CLEVELAND GLADIATORS	Sunday, April 1	Home	6:05 p.m.
5	Georgia Force	Saturday, April 7	Away	TBD
6	SAN JOSE SABERCATS	Sunday, April 15	Home	6:05 p.m.
7	# TAMPA BAY STORM	Friday, April 20	Home	8 p.m.
8	Orlando Predators	Saturday, April 28	Away	TBD
9	MILWAUKEE MUSTANGS	Saturday, May 5	Home	7:05 p.m.
10	JACKSONVILLE SHARKS	Saturday, May 12	Home	7:05 p.m.
11	Spokane Shock	Friday, May 18	Away	TBD
12	Cleveland Gladiators	Sunday, May 27	Away	TBD
13	ORLANDO PREDATORS	Saturday, June 2	Home	7:05 p.m.
14	Milwaukee Mustangs	Friday, June 8	Away	TBD
15	Jacksonville Sharks	Saturday, June 16	Away	TBD
16	PITTSBURGH POWER	Sunday, June 24	Home	6:05 p.m.
17	Tampa Bay Storm	Saturday, June 30	Away	7:30 p.m.
18	SPOKANE SHOCK	Sunday, July 8	Home	6:05 p.m.
19	BYE	--	--	--
20	UTAH BLAZE	Sunday, July 22	Home	6:05 p.m.

CAPS are home games; *All times in Eastern Time and subject to change; # NFL Network