WSOC Weekly Release No. 6 >

Colorado College plays its first conference games as members of the Mountain West when Utah State University and Boise State University visit Stewart Field this weekend. The Tigers play host to the Aggies on Friday, Sept. 26, at 1 p.m., and then the Broncos two days later at 1:30 p.m.  

CC will take an 18-game home unbeaten streak (16-0-2) into Friday's encounter with USU. The Tigers slipped to 4-2-2 with a 4-0 setback at BYU last Saturday night. However, they are 4-0-1 at home this season.

The Aggies improved to 4-3-1 overall by splitting a pair of home games last week. They dropped a 3-0 decision to the University of Utah on Friday, but rebounded for a 1-0 win over UC Riverside on Sunday.

Boise State slipped to 3-3-3 after falling to No. 12 Pepperdine (2-0) and tying UC Irvine (1-1) on the road last week. The Broncos, who play at Air Force on Friday, are 2-2-3 on the road this season, including one neutral-site victory.

The Colorado College offense features junior midfielder Sarah Schweiss, who continues to lead the Mountain West with 11 points and is tied for first with five goals. CC's balanced attack also includes senior midfielders Jessie Ayers and Kaeli Vandersluis who have six points apiece on two goals and a pair of assists. Seven different Tigers have scored goals, while 10 have at least one point.

Defensively, the Tigers are led by junior Alexis Long, who anchors a back line that includes a pair of first-year defenders in Ali Basom and Anne-Sophie Lapointe, as well as freshman goalkeeper Rowan Frederiksen.

Despite last Saturday's loss at BYU, CC has allowed just seven goals in the last 625 minutes. During that span, the Tigers recorded three shutouts and lowered their team GAA from 4.09 at halftime of the DU game to 1.42.

Colorado College begins its quest for a third consecutive regular season conference crown this week. In 2012, the Tigers and Rice University tied for first place atop the Conference USA Standings with 8-2-1 league records.

Last year, CC finished first with an 8-1-1 mark and went on to claim its first C-USA Tournament title and the league's automatic berth to the 2013 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship.
 
The Tigers were picked second in the conference's preseason poll in a ballot of its head coaches. Colorado College was edged out by defending champion San Diego State by a 115-112 margin. Both teams received five first-place votes. Boise State, the top selection on two ballots, was third with 102 points. New Mexico (88) and Utah State (82) rounded out the top five.

Next week, CC kicks off a four-game road stretch, its longest of the season, when the Tigers visit Diego State on Friday, Oct. 3, and the University of New Mexico on Sunday, Oct. 5.