PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania women's soccer team takes its first trip to California since the 2012 season for a pair of non-conference matches this weekend. Following their arrival in the Golden State Wednesday night, the Quakers take on UC Irvine Friday night at 7 p.m. EST (4 p.m. PST) before concluding the trip against UC Riverside for a 10 p.m. EST ( 7 p.m. PST) kickoff.
GAME INFORMATION
PENN (0-2-0) at UC IRVINE (1-1-1)
Fri., September 1 | 7 p.m. | Anteater Stadium | Live Stats
PENN at UC RIVERSIDE (1-2-1)
Sun., September 3 | 10 p.m. | UC Riverside Soccer Stadium | Live Stats
NEWS AND NOTES: UC IRVINE
*The 2016 Big West runner-up hosts Penn for the first all-time matchup between the two. The Anteaters' 13 wins a year ago were the program's most since the 2011 season, and have played off that success early in 2017.
*UC Irvine notched its first win of the season on Monday in a 3-0 defeat of visiting Portland.
*Leading goal-scorer Kiana Palacios netted two goals in the victory, and goalkeeper Maddie Newsom has allowed just two goals through the team's first three games - including a scoreless draw against PAC-12 member Arizona.
NEWS AND NOTES: UC RIVERSIDE
*UC Riverside and Penn also meet for the first time Sunday night. The Highlanders finished with a 5-10-4 overall record and a 2-5-1 mark in Big West play a season ago.
*After defeating Southern Utah 1-0 in their season opener August 18, the Highlanders have dropped two of their last three while allowing nine goals over those three matches.
*UC Riverside welcomes in non-conference opponent Toledo Friday night prior to its match with the Quakers to round out the weekend.
THE WEEK THAT WAS: PENN
*The Quakers welcomed in Lehigh (8/25) and La Salle (8/27) to Rhodes Field to kick off the first weekend of the 2017 season. Penn came out on the wrong end of a pair of 1-0 decisions despite strong play from the midfield and back line on both nights.
*Freshmen and sophomores combined for ten of the starting 11 in Friday night's season opener against Lehigh.
Katharine Larson and
Jadyn Wilensky tallied the most minutes among freshmen over weekend, with 172 and 171 minutes, respectively.
*Penn out-shot its opponents 26-11 in the two games, including a 15-7 advantage over La Salle Sunday night.
*In seven road matches last season, the Quakers compiled a 5-0-2 record while outscoring their opponents 16-3.
THE QUAKERS IN CALIFORNIA
*Penn has taken three trips to California in program history (2004, 2010, 2012), playing to a 2-3-1 record in six matches. The Quakers' last win in California came during the 2012 season in a 3-2, double-overtime match at Sacramento State.
*13 players on the 2017 roster hail from the Golden State:
Kelsey Andrews,
McRae Fried,
Chase Geffert,
Erica Higa,
Paige Howard,
Samantha Klingelhofer,
Katharine Larson,
Megan Lloyd,
Ann Manella,
Kitty Qu,
Camillia Nwokedi,
Sasha Stephens and
Miranda Schwartz.
*Head coach
Nicole Van Dyke and assistants
Melissa Phillips and
Lizzy Johnson all have strong California ties with them, as well. Van Dyke played her college soccer at Cal State Bakersfield before beginning her coaching career at Cal State Stanislaus - Phillips' alma mater. Van Dyke also had stops at Cal State Bakersfield and Stanford before her arrival at Penn.
*After Phllips' college soccer career, she began he coaching career at Cal State Bakersfield under Van Dyke before assuming the head coaching role in 2011. Johnson spent the last six years coaching youth soccer in Northern California, most recently as the head coach of the San Bruno Lowen Soccer Club U16 Girls squad.
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