RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers revealed their 2019 preseason schedule on Tuesday, with the club set to play six games ahead of its USL League One regular-season opener against Lansing Ignite FC on March 30.

"The combination of it being nearly four months since the last time I was on the field coaching and watching the 2019 roster start to take shape, I am getting very excited for the beginning of preseason,” said Kickers Head Coach David Bulow. “Having been appointed the new Head Coach in the middle of the season last summer, it felt a little bit like I was trying to jump on a treadmill that was running at full speed. I’m really looking forward to take the time build a team that’s competitive and entertaining, one that the Richmond area soccer community will be proud to watch.”

Richmond will kick off its 2019 preseason campaign on Saturday, Feb. 16 when it hosts the first of two preseason matches against Virginia Commonwealth University at Ukrop Park. Six days later, the Kickers will travel to Leesburg, Va. to face USL Championship side Bethlehem Steel FC. The Kickers return to Richmond on March 3 to host Old Dominion University.

The highlight of the preseason schedule comes on March 9, when the Kickers will open up City Stadium to host NCAA powerhouse University of Virginia. Tickets will be $5 and available soon on RichmondKickers.com. Kickoff for that match is set for 4:00 p.m.

The Kickers will host 2018 NCAA Elite Eight participant James Madison University on March 17, before closing out their preseason with a second meeting against VCU on March 23. Both of those matches will be hosted at Ukrop Park.

“I’m also very grateful to continue the relationships with the men’s soccer programs of VCU, ODU, JMU and UVA,” said Bulow. “They not only provide good opposition, but hopefully it also provides motivation for the next generation of the Richmond Kickers Pro soccer team.”