Sunday, September 1
Seattle, WA
1:00 PM
University of Washington
vs
New Mexico State
Dawgs Return Home For Sunday Matinee With New Mexico State
August 31, 2024 | Women's Soccer
SEATTLE βΒ Suffering its first loss of the season at No. 10 Santa Clara on Thursday, Washington returns to the comfy confines of Husky Soccer Stadium on Sunday, hosting unbeaten New Mexico State for a 1 p.m. PT kickoff.
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Sunday's match will be available for streaming through B1G+, with live stats available at HuskyStats.com.
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SCOUTING NEW MEXICO STATE
New Mexico State is in its seventh season under the direction of head coach Rob Baarts, who was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year after guiding the Aggies to the regular season championship in their first season in the conference.
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A year after claiming the C-USA crown, the Aggies were picked to finish second in the preseason poll behind Liberty, receiving a pair of first place votes.
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Three Aggies were named Preseason All-C-USA, led by reigning league player of the year Loma McNeese. McNeese was joined by senior defender Ariana Leamons and graduate student midfielder Xitlaly Hernandez.
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Junior midfielder Meredith Scott paces New Mexico State with three goals on the year, while McNeese, Leamons and senior midfielder Brooke Schultz have all scored twice. Schultz is the only Aggie with multiple assists in 2024, posting three through five matches.
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Redshirt sophomore Valerie Guha has played every second in goal for NMSU, garnering a 1.20 goals against average and a .571 save percentage on eight stops. Guha has allowed at least one goal in every match this season.
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SERIES HISTORY
Washington and New Mexico State have never faced off previously. The Cowgirls will be one of four brand new opponents for the Huskies this season, joining Wyoming, Indiana and Iowa.
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STREAK SNAPPED
Giving up a late decisive goal at No. 10 Santa Clara, Washington saw it's 10-match unbeaten streak come to an end in Northern California on Thursday. SCU's winner came with 86:11 on the clock, the latest goal conceded by UW since allowing an 88th minute goal at UCLA in 2022. The Dawgs' 10-match unbeaten streak was the longest for the program since 2000.
STARTING XI FIXTURE
Since making seven-straight starts to end her freshman campaign, junior Kelsey Branson has not failed to crack the Huskies' starting XI a single time, a streak spanning 30 consecutive matches. Branson is the only Husky to start all 19 matches in 2023 and start the first four fixtures of 2024.
INSTANT IMPACT
The Huskies have gotten immediate contributions from three true freshmen in Alex Buck, Kate Cheldelin and Andrea Leyva, with Buck and Cheldelin starting three consecutive matches and Leyva cracking the starting XI in back-to-back affairs.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Washington is still seeking its first first-half goal of the season in 2024, with all four Husky goals coming after the restart.
RETURNING HOME
The Huskies will be facing off against four Washington natives on Thursday as New Mexico State brings a quartet of players that call the Evergreen State home in Ariana Ellison (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline HS), Sydnee Johnson (Renton, Wash./Kentridge HS), Brooke Schultz (Kenmore, Wash./Inglemoor HS) and Gabriela Semlick (Ridgefield, Wash./Ceder Tree Classical Christian School).
EMPTYING THE TANK
Kolo Suliafu has not come off the pitch in any of the last 10 matches for Washington, playing 900 straight minutes for the Huskies. Suliafu played the full 90 minutes in 13 of 18 matches played in 2023.
A B1G NEW ERA
Washington enters a new era in 2024 as a member of the prestigious Big Ten Conference. The move means not only new destinations but new challenges for the Huskies as well, with the Big Ten boasting nine teams that earned a bid to the 2023 NCAA Tournament and seven schools ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.
Washington, a founding member of what eventually became the Pac-12 Conference, began play in what was then known as the Pac-10 during the conference's first season supporting women's soccer in 1995. UW launched its women's soccer program in 1991.
GANG'S ALL BACK
Washington returns nearly the entirety of its roster from the 2023 roster, standing as the only team in the Big Ten to return its entire starting XI with 11 returners with 10 or more starts in 2023.
What's more, the bulk of the Huskies firepower is back, with Washington returning the vast majority of its goals (26/31, 83.9%), assists (31/33, 93.9%), points (83/95, 87.4%) shots (215/246, 87.4%), shots on goal (90/108, 83.3%) and game-winning goals (9/9, 100%) from a season ago.
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Additionally, with 3-of-4 goalkeepers back from the 2023 roster, the Dawgs return practically all of its goalkeeper minutes (1605:29/1710:00, 93.9%) and saves (62/64, 96.9%).
EURO TRIP
This summer, Husky senior Ioanna Papatheodorou was called upon to don her nation's colors, earning a call up to the Greece National Team for a pair of qualifiers for the 2025 UEFA Women's European Championships. Paptheodorou earned a starting XI cap for Greece's 6-0 win over Andorra.
Papatheodorou isn't the only Husky with European experience at the national team level, with Enora Matté earning a handful of caps for the Belgium Under-19 National Team.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Despite returning the vast majority of its 2023 roster, Washington nonetheless reloaded with a talented crop of nine freshmen newcomers.
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Among the group are three players who were selected to the prestigious High School All-American Game in Alex Buck, Maggie Dutra and Andrea Leyva.
HOMECOMING
In addition to nine freshmen, Washington also adds a newcomer with proven experience at the college level in sophomore forward Sophie Runje. Runje, a product of nearby Issaquah High School in Issaquah, Washington, made the move back to King County after spending her freshman season across the state at Gonzaga. Runje scored five goals as a rookie, earning All-WCC Freshman Team plaudits.
KEEP AN EYE OUT
Prior to the season, the Big Ten Conference announced its Players to Watch List, with a trio of Husky juniors making the cut in midfielder's Kelsey Branson and Tatum Thomason and defender Kolo Suliafu.
Thomason led the Dawgs with six goals in 2023, scoring three times in the final three matches of the season. Thomason came up in the clutch all season long for the Huskies, bagging four of UW's nine match-winning goals for the season.
Β
Following up on a breakout freshman campaign, Branson doubled up with another phenomenal season in 2023, scoring four goals and chipping in three assists. The San Diego native earned her second career Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week after leading UW to a historic road point at No. 2 Stanford.
With a combination of speed, toughness and defensive awareness, Suliafu has served as a backline anchor for the Huskies since stepping on campus in 2022. The Ontario, California, native has started 40 matches over her first two-plus seasons, leading the Huskies to 13 clean sheets. Also making an impact on offense, Suliafu has contributed four assists in her career.
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Nine of Washington's 32 players hail from the Evergreen State, with six products of King County (Alex Buck, Malie Chamberland, Maggie Dutra, Anna Menti, Shelby Runje, Samiah Shell), two natives of Pierce County (Sophie Blake, Ava Morton) and one product of Snohomish County (Deanna Montero).
Β
SETTING THE STAGE
15 of Washington's 31 goals during the 2023 came off of set pieces, with six goals coming as the result of corner kicks, five being scored off of free kicks and all four penalties being converted.
YOU CAN FIND ME IN DA CLUB
One of the more unique paths to the Husky roster comes from junior Avery Nguyen, who was offered a roster spot prior to the start of the 2023 season after a trial during preseason training. A native of the Kansas City metro area and a former standout for Olathe Northwest High School and Sporting Blue Valley, Nguyen led the UW club team in scoring as a college freshman in 2022.
Β
Nguyen played a significant role for the Dawgs during the 2023 season, appearing in 11 matches and making a pair of starts.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
For the first time since 2018, Washington returns every member of its coaching staff, retaining assistant coaches Cole Schmit, Raphael Cox and Kary Whitney to Nicole Van Dyke's staff.
Β
SMART COOKIES
For the ninth straight season, Washington has received the United Soccer Coaches Academic Award after earning a 3.67 team GPA.
HUSKIES PICKED 14TH IN BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
The Big Ten Conference announced the 2024 Preseason Coaches' Poll prior to the season, with Washington predicted to finish 14th in its new league table as voted on by the conference's 18 head coaches.
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2023 BIG TEN PRESEASON COACHES' POLLΒ Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
1. UCLA
2. Penn State
3. Michigan State
4. Nebraska
5. USC
6. Wisconsin
7. Rutgers
8. Iowa
9. Ohio State
10. Indiana
11. Michigan
12. Northwestern
13. Washington
14. Minnesota
15. Illinois
16. Purdue
17. Maryland
18. Oregon
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WATCH THE DAWGS
Aside from Washington's matchups with USC and Iowa, which will be featured on the Big Ten Network, all UW home matches and Big Ten road matches will be available for streaming through B1G+. The live streams require a subscription, priced at $89.99 for one year or $12.99 per month. The B1G+ subscription allows you access to all non-televised Big Ten events, in addition to all non-televised Washington events throughout the year.
Β
FOLLOW THE DAWGS
Fans can keep up with all the goings on around the Washington women's soccer program by following the Huskies on the team's various social media platforms. You can find the Dawgs on X at @UW_WSoccer, on Instagram at @uw_wsoccer or on Facebook by searching "Washington Women's Soccer". Fans can also follow the Huskies through the women's soccer page at GoHuskies.com.
Β
Sunday's match will be available for streaming through B1G+, with live stats available at HuskyStats.com.
Β
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO STATE
New Mexico State is in its seventh season under the direction of head coach Rob Baarts, who was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year after guiding the Aggies to the regular season championship in their first season in the conference.
Β
A year after claiming the C-USA crown, the Aggies were picked to finish second in the preseason poll behind Liberty, receiving a pair of first place votes.
Β
Three Aggies were named Preseason All-C-USA, led by reigning league player of the year Loma McNeese. McNeese was joined by senior defender Ariana Leamons and graduate student midfielder Xitlaly Hernandez.
Β
Junior midfielder Meredith Scott paces New Mexico State with three goals on the year, while McNeese, Leamons and senior midfielder Brooke Schultz have all scored twice. Schultz is the only Aggie with multiple assists in 2024, posting three through five matches.
Β
Redshirt sophomore Valerie Guha has played every second in goal for NMSU, garnering a 1.20 goals against average and a .571 save percentage on eight stops. Guha has allowed at least one goal in every match this season.
Β
SERIES HISTORY
Washington and New Mexico State have never faced off previously. The Cowgirls will be one of four brand new opponents for the Huskies this season, joining Wyoming, Indiana and Iowa.
Β
STREAK SNAPPED
Giving up a late decisive goal at No. 10 Santa Clara, Washington saw it's 10-match unbeaten streak come to an end in Northern California on Thursday. SCU's winner came with 86:11 on the clock, the latest goal conceded by UW since allowing an 88th minute goal at UCLA in 2022. The Dawgs' 10-match unbeaten streak was the longest for the program since 2000.
STARTING XI FIXTURE
Since making seven-straight starts to end her freshman campaign, junior Kelsey Branson has not failed to crack the Huskies' starting XI a single time, a streak spanning 30 consecutive matches. Branson is the only Husky to start all 19 matches in 2023 and start the first four fixtures of 2024.
INSTANT IMPACT
The Huskies have gotten immediate contributions from three true freshmen in Alex Buck, Kate Cheldelin and Andrea Leyva, with Buck and Cheldelin starting three consecutive matches and Leyva cracking the starting XI in back-to-back affairs.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Washington is still seeking its first first-half goal of the season in 2024, with all four Husky goals coming after the restart.
RETURNING HOME
The Huskies will be facing off against four Washington natives on Thursday as New Mexico State brings a quartet of players that call the Evergreen State home in Ariana Ellison (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline HS), Sydnee Johnson (Renton, Wash./Kentridge HS), Brooke Schultz (Kenmore, Wash./Inglemoor HS) and Gabriela Semlick (Ridgefield, Wash./Ceder Tree Classical Christian School).
EMPTYING THE TANK
Kolo Suliafu has not come off the pitch in any of the last 10 matches for Washington, playing 900 straight minutes for the Huskies. Suliafu played the full 90 minutes in 13 of 18 matches played in 2023.
A B1G NEW ERA
Washington enters a new era in 2024 as a member of the prestigious Big Ten Conference. The move means not only new destinations but new challenges for the Huskies as well, with the Big Ten boasting nine teams that earned a bid to the 2023 NCAA Tournament and seven schools ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.
Washington, a founding member of what eventually became the Pac-12 Conference, began play in what was then known as the Pac-10 during the conference's first season supporting women's soccer in 1995. UW launched its women's soccer program in 1991.
GANG'S ALL BACK
Washington returns nearly the entirety of its roster from the 2023 roster, standing as the only team in the Big Ten to return its entire starting XI with 11 returners with 10 or more starts in 2023.
What's more, the bulk of the Huskies firepower is back, with Washington returning the vast majority of its goals (26/31, 83.9%), assists (31/33, 93.9%), points (83/95, 87.4%) shots (215/246, 87.4%), shots on goal (90/108, 83.3%) and game-winning goals (9/9, 100%) from a season ago.
Β
Additionally, with 3-of-4 goalkeepers back from the 2023 roster, the Dawgs return practically all of its goalkeeper minutes (1605:29/1710:00, 93.9%) and saves (62/64, 96.9%).
EURO TRIP
This summer, Husky senior Ioanna Papatheodorou was called upon to don her nation's colors, earning a call up to the Greece National Team for a pair of qualifiers for the 2025 UEFA Women's European Championships. Paptheodorou earned a starting XI cap for Greece's 6-0 win over Andorra.
Papatheodorou isn't the only Husky with European experience at the national team level, with Enora Matté earning a handful of caps for the Belgium Under-19 National Team.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Despite returning the vast majority of its 2023 roster, Washington nonetheless reloaded with a talented crop of nine freshmen newcomers.
Β
Among the group are three players who were selected to the prestigious High School All-American Game in Alex Buck, Maggie Dutra and Andrea Leyva.
HOMECOMING
In addition to nine freshmen, Washington also adds a newcomer with proven experience at the college level in sophomore forward Sophie Runje. Runje, a product of nearby Issaquah High School in Issaquah, Washington, made the move back to King County after spending her freshman season across the state at Gonzaga. Runje scored five goals as a rookie, earning All-WCC Freshman Team plaudits.
KEEP AN EYE OUT
Prior to the season, the Big Ten Conference announced its Players to Watch List, with a trio of Husky juniors making the cut in midfielder's Kelsey Branson and Tatum Thomason and defender Kolo Suliafu.
Thomason led the Dawgs with six goals in 2023, scoring three times in the final three matches of the season. Thomason came up in the clutch all season long for the Huskies, bagging four of UW's nine match-winning goals for the season.
Β
Following up on a breakout freshman campaign, Branson doubled up with another phenomenal season in 2023, scoring four goals and chipping in three assists. The San Diego native earned her second career Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week after leading UW to a historic road point at No. 2 Stanford.
With a combination of speed, toughness and defensive awareness, Suliafu has served as a backline anchor for the Huskies since stepping on campus in 2022. The Ontario, California, native has started 40 matches over her first two-plus seasons, leading the Huskies to 13 clean sheets. Also making an impact on offense, Suliafu has contributed four assists in her career.
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Nine of Washington's 32 players hail from the Evergreen State, with six products of King County (Alex Buck, Malie Chamberland, Maggie Dutra, Anna Menti, Shelby Runje, Samiah Shell), two natives of Pierce County (Sophie Blake, Ava Morton) and one product of Snohomish County (Deanna Montero).
Β
SETTING THE STAGE
15 of Washington's 31 goals during the 2023 came off of set pieces, with six goals coming as the result of corner kicks, five being scored off of free kicks and all four penalties being converted.
YOU CAN FIND ME IN DA CLUB
One of the more unique paths to the Husky roster comes from junior Avery Nguyen, who was offered a roster spot prior to the start of the 2023 season after a trial during preseason training. A native of the Kansas City metro area and a former standout for Olathe Northwest High School and Sporting Blue Valley, Nguyen led the UW club team in scoring as a college freshman in 2022.
Β
Nguyen played a significant role for the Dawgs during the 2023 season, appearing in 11 matches and making a pair of starts.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
For the first time since 2018, Washington returns every member of its coaching staff, retaining assistant coaches Cole Schmit, Raphael Cox and Kary Whitney to Nicole Van Dyke's staff.
Β
SMART COOKIES
For the ninth straight season, Washington has received the United Soccer Coaches Academic Award after earning a 3.67 team GPA.
HUSKIES PICKED 14TH IN BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
The Big Ten Conference announced the 2024 Preseason Coaches' Poll prior to the season, with Washington predicted to finish 14th in its new league table as voted on by the conference's 18 head coaches.
Β
2023 BIG TEN PRESEASON COACHES' POLLΒ Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
1. UCLA
2. Penn State
3. Michigan State
4. Nebraska
5. USC
6. Wisconsin
7. Rutgers
8. Iowa
9. Ohio State
10. Indiana
11. Michigan
12. Northwestern
13. Washington
14. Minnesota
15. Illinois
16. Purdue
17. Maryland
18. Oregon
Β
WATCH THE DAWGS
Aside from Washington's matchups with USC and Iowa, which will be featured on the Big Ten Network, all UW home matches and Big Ten road matches will be available for streaming through B1G+. The live streams require a subscription, priced at $89.99 for one year or $12.99 per month. The B1G+ subscription allows you access to all non-televised Big Ten events, in addition to all non-televised Washington events throughout the year.
Β
FOLLOW THE DAWGS
Fans can keep up with all the goings on around the Washington women's soccer program by following the Huskies on the team's various social media platforms. You can find the Dawgs on X at @UW_WSoccer, on Instagram at @uw_wsoccer or on Facebook by searching "Washington Women's Soccer". Fans can also follow the Huskies through the women's soccer page at GoHuskies.com.
Players Mentioned
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