Weekly Release No. 1 >

Colorado College kicks off the 2015 season with a pair of games against intra-state rivals as part of the annual battle for the Colorado Cup.

The Tigers begin their 31st season of Division I soccer when they play host to the University of Northern Colorado on Friday, Aug. 21, at 3 p.m. on Stewart Field. Two days later, CC travels to Boulder, Colo., for a clash with the University of Colorado at 3:30 p.m. at Prentup Field.

The Colorado Cup is a season-long tournament featuring all six Division I programs in the state, with the champion being determined by a points system that awards three points for a win, one point for a tie and one point for each goal scored.

Since each team is limited to three games in which it can earn points, Colorado College's Mountain West contest against Colorado State University on Friday, Oct. 2, will not affect the standings. This year's champion will not be determined until Friday, Oct. 30, when CC visits Air Force for the final game of the regular season.

The Tigers are 14-1-1 in the previous 16 encounters against Northern Colorado, but the Bears are 1-0-1 against CC in the last two games. They overcame a two-goal deficit to stop a 14-game losing streak with forge a 2-2 tie in 2012, and last year they scored three times in the first 27:01 and held on for a 3-2 victory in the 2014 season opener. Colorado College has won all 12 previous games against UNC at Stewart Field by a combined score of 39-2.

The Buffs own a 7-2-1 lead in the series with CC, including a 5-1-0 mark at Prentup Field. Since dropping the first two meetings with the Tigers, Colorado is 7-0-1 thanks to five one-goal victories and a scoreless tie. Since its inception in 2011, the Buffs have won the cup three times (2011, '12 and '14), while the University of Denver claimed it once (2013).

Colorado College returns five starters and 12 veterans from last season's squad that posted a 12-5-4 overall record and finished fourth in the Mountain West with a 7-3-1 conference mark. Headlining CC's list of returning players is senior co-captain/midfielder Sarah Schweiss (Monument, CO), a first-team all-Mountain West selection who led the Tigers with career highs of 10 goals and 24 points.

Anchoring the defense is senior co-captain Alexis Long (Oak Hills, CA), who started 37 of 42 games during the last two seasons when CC posted a combined 27-9-7 record and 20 clean sheets. Colorado College's back line includes three more starters in senior Samantha Curran (Austin, TX) and sophomores Ali Basom (Enola, PA) and Anne-Sophie Lapointe (Quebec City, Quebec).

The Tigers play the second of their 13 home games when the University of Pittsburgh makes its first-ever appearance at Stewart Field on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 11 a.m.