HARRISON, N.J. – Sky Blue FC will host James Madison University in its first preseason game, in a closed-door match at Red Bulls Training Facility Sunday, March 7, the National Women’s Soccer League team announced Wednesday.

The Red Bulls’ facility is Sky Blue’s training site.

“We are pleased to welcome JMU to New Jersey for the first match between our two teams,” Sky Blue head coach Freya Coombe said in a statement. “This will be our first match since last October and we’re embracing the challenge that playing a team with a different style than us will bring.”

JMU reached the 2019 Colonial Athletic Association tournament. The team started its 2021 spring campaign with a 1-1 draw against Liberty University Feb. 21. JMU will play in this exhibition scrimmage before continuing its campaign on March 14 against Towson University March 14.

Sky Blue will start competing in the NWSL Challenge Cup April 9. The regular season that begins May 15.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.