Mavs Take Strong Start to Utah
Aug 28, 2014 | Women's Soccer
The UNO women's soccer team takes its perfect start to the season to Utah this weekend for a pair of road matches. The Mavericks play at Weber State on Friday at 4 p.m. (CT) and finish the weekend at Utah State on Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT). Live stats for both matches will be available at OMavs.com. A live webcast for the Utah State game will be available at OMavs.com.
The Teams
The Mavericks (1-0) are coming off a 2-0 win over Incarnate Word in the season opener last Friday at Caniglia Field. UNO gained confidence with a 2-1 preseason win at Iowa State and carried it over into last week's shutout, the first time the Mavs have posted a clean sheet on opening weekend since 2008. Friday's win also was the first season-opening win for the Mavs since 2008, when the Mavs were Division II. Junior forward Chelsi Rohloff had a goal and an assist, while freshman Lydia Holtmann had a goal and senior Anna Sibson had two assists.
Weber State is 0-1 after falling to Westminster, 1-0, last Friday. The Wildcats had a 6-1 edge in shots on goal but failed to score, while Westminster converted its only shot on net. The Wildcats were 10-5-5 last season and reached the NCAA Tournament by winning the Big Sky Championship. Weber State has nine starters and 16 letterwinners back from that squad.
Utah State (0-2) has dropped two matches to start the season, 3-1 at Arkansas and 2-0 at Missouri State. The Aggies will be playing their home opener against UNO and will have had six days of rest. The Aggies have won six home openers in a row and are coming off a 10-7-5 season. Utah State and Weber State met in the preseason on Aug. 16 and battled to a 1-1 draw.
Series History
UNO and Weber State will be meeting for the first time. The Mavs and Utah State met once in Omaha in 2012 with Utah State notching a 3-1 win.
Last Time Out
Behind a goal and an assist from Chelsi Rohloff, the Omaha women's soccer team posted a 2-0 season-opening win over Incarnate Word at Caniglia Field last Friday. It was the Mavs' first season-opening win since 2008, back when the Mavs were in Division II. Incarnate Word (0-1) is also in the midst of a transition to Division I. UNO finished with a 12-10 shot advantage and had a 6-3 edge in shots on goal. Lydia Holtmann scored her first collegiate goal and Anna Sibson had two assists. Freshman goalie Katlyn Schochenmaier earned the shutout in her first collegiate game and start, making three saves.
Up Next
The Mavs visit Northern Illinois next Friday for a 7 p.m. match.
Grab Your Season-Ticket Scarves
The UNO women's and men's soccer teams are doing a joint season-long promotion for 2014 where if you buy an official “Omaha Soccer” scarf for $30, you get into every home game as long as you have your scarf with you. Scarves are on sale at the Sapp Fieldhouse ticket office and at each home game. For just $30, you can see $82 worth of Maverick women's and men's soccer games this fall.
Wampler and Lawler Lead the Back Line
UNO's two Summit League postseason honorees in 2013 both came from the Maverick back line, and both will be back to lead the defense in 2014. Wampler earned All-Summit League second-team honors and Lawler was named to the All-Freshmen Team. Wampler and Lawler were instrumental in helping the Mavericks reduce their goals against average from 2.33 in 2012 to 1.81 in 2013. The Mavs also gave up 63 fewer shots last season than they did in 2012.
Eight Newcomers Looking to Make Impact in 2014
With the loss of eight letterwinners, including four starters, the Mavericks will turn to their incoming class for immediate production. Junior Kyla Booker should have a key role after playing two seasons at Creighton before transfering to UNO in the summer. Booker scored two goals last season and played in 16 matches, making three starts for the Bluejays. The American Canyon, Calif., native can play on both defense and the attack. Among the seven freshmen, Natalie Johnson is the only Nebraska recruit. Johnson was an all-state performer for Skutt Catholic, winning two state championships. Norwalk, Iowa native Katlyn Schochenmaier will add depth at goalkeeper, while Marin Dregelid (Santa Cruz, Calif.), Lydia Holtmann and Leah Lawler (St. Paul, Minn.) come into the program as midfielders. The Mavs also picked up 5-10 forward Izzy Anders from Fort Collins, Colo., giving the Mavs more size up top. Finally, Jessica Bollinger was a standout defender for Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Okla., adding depth to the back line.
Mavs Picked Eighth in Summit Preseason Poll
The Mavs were picked to finish eighth in the Summit League Preseason Poll. The poll is voted on by the league's head coaches. The Mavericks garnered 17 points. UNO returns eight starters and 14 letterwinners from last year's 3-11-2 squad. Denver was selected to repeat as league champions with the maximum 64 points and eight first-place votes. The Pioneers, ranked No. 25 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire Preseason Poll, went a perfect 7-0-0 in league play last season and advanced to their second straight NCAA Tournament. South Dakota State received the only other first-place vote - league coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams - and finished second with 55 points. North Dakota State came in third with 48 points, while Oral Roberts was fourth with 42 points. Western Illinois (34), Fort Wayne (31) and IUPUI (19) came in fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. UNO's 17 points edged out South Dakota's 14 points to round out the poll.
Last Season of Transition
The 2014 season marks the final one that the Mavs will be unable to compete in the Summit League Championship and NCAA Tournament. As part of its transition to Division I, the Mavs had to sit out postseason play from 2011-12 to 2014-15. The top four teams in the league standings qualify for the Summit League Championship.
FIFA Awards UNO Soccer Pitch Prestigious Rating
The new University of Nebraska Omaha soccer pitch at Caniglia Field, installed by Hellas Construction, has received the prestigious FIFA Recommended 2-Star certification, the highest synthetic turf rating from FIFA, the international governing body of soccer. The Maverick soccer programs are now the only NCAA Division I teams that can call a FIFA 2-Star field their home, distinguishing Caniglia Field as the elite synthetic turf in Division I soccer. Only four synthetic turf fields in the U.S. currently hold the FIFA Recommended 2-Star certification, which lasts for one year but is eligible for a new test each year. Joining Al F. Caniglia Field among that elite group are CenturyLink Field (Seattle Sounders), Gillette Stadium (New England Revolution) and North Shore United soccer club in Cedarburg, Wis. The rating was issued after a series of tests performed by a FIFA approved testing agent to examine the quality, comfort, safety and performance of the playing surface. Caniglia Field features an infill that enhances stability, reduces the field temperature and creates more natural playing characteristics to help decrease the risk of injuries.
