Match 3 – Midwestern State (1-1-0) at No. 13 UC-Colorado Springs (2-0-0)
Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 | 6 p.m.
Mountain Lion Stadium | Colorado Springs, Colo.
Live Stats: GoMountainLions.com
Live Video: GoMountainLions.com
 
Match 4 – Midwestern State (1-1-0) at Western State (1-1-0)                              
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015 | 2 p.m.
Gateway Field | Gunnison, Colo.                                                                                                           
Live Stats: GoMountaineers.com
Live Video: GoMountaineers.com
 
 
FOR STARTERS
Midwestern State dropped a 1-0 contest to Fort Lewis in the season opener before recording a 3-0 shutout win over Colorado Mesa last weekend at MSU Soccer Field.
 
Against the Mavericks, senior defender Alex Edwards, junior defender Abbey Barnum and junior forward Aly Wade contributed goals for the Mustangs. Wade led Midwestern with three points on the weekend, also assisting on Barnum's goal.
 
The Mustangs are opening up their 2015 campaign with four-straight matches against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) teams. Midwestern will get an early season road test against No. 13 UC-Colorado Springs on Friday before wrapping up the weekend Sunday against Western State.
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
- UC-Colorado Springs went 2-0 last weekend with a 3-1 victory over Texas A&M International and a 1-0 double overtime upset win over No. 16 Texas A&M-Commerce that propelled the Mountain Lions into the national rankings this week
- Senior forward Taylor Braden netted the game winner in the 102nd minute against TAMUC to earn RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors
- Braden leads UCCS with two goals on the season while junior midfielder Michaela Mansfield and sophomore forward Bailee Jameson have also recorded scores for the Mountain Lions
- UCCS was picked to finish seventh in the RMAC preseason poll with Mansfield earning preseason accolades
- The Mountain Lions are led by sixth-year head coach Nichole Ridenour
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
- The Mustangs have faced UCCS just once in program history, posting a 2-1 road win over the Mountain Lions back in 2008
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
- Western State opened the season going 1-1 last week with a 1-0 defeat to Texas A&M-Commerce and a 2-0 victory over Texas A&M International
- Against TAMUC, the Mountaineers were without senior goalkeeper Meghan Jedrzejewski, who sat out after receiving a red card in the final game last season. The Lions tallied a goal in the 75th minute to break a scoreless contest
- Sophomore forward Jennifer Kahle and senior defender Brianna Vega netted goals for the Mountaineers against TAMUI to conclude the first week of play
- Western was picked sixth in the RMAC preseason poll after going 6-7-5 in 2014. Vega was a RMAC preseason selection after being named to the All-South Central Region Team last season
- The Mountaineers are led by fourth-year head coach Jeremy Clevenger
                                                                                                                                                               
INSIDE THE SERIES
- The Mustangs and Mountaineers first squared off last season in Wichita Falls with the teams playing to a scoreless draw
 
CLARKE BEGINS YEAR NO. 2
- In his first season at Midwestern, head coach Damian Clarke led the Mustangs to an 8-6-5 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the Lone Star Conference with a 3-5-2 mark
- In seven seasons at Fort Lewis, Clarke compiled a 106-31-17 record with five NCAA Tournament appearances
- Entering his ninth season as a head coach, Clarke holds a career mark of 114-37-22 with a winning percentage of .723 that currently ranks 12th in NCAA Division II
 
MUSTANGS PICKED THIRD IN LSC
- Midwestern totaled 48 points for third in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) Preseason Poll
- The Mustangs return eight starters off last year's squad including LSC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year Courtney Burnette and 2014 All-LSC selections Morgan Hannon, Alex Edwards, Liz Navarette and Destinee Williamson
 
LOOKING AHEAD
- Midwestern will continue its road swing next Saturday, facing Southern Nazarene (Okla.) at 2 p.m. at the Wanda Rhodes Soccer Complex in Bethany