PHILADELPHIA – After months of preparation, the University of Pennsylvania's women's soccer program is set for a new season and will open inside the familiar confines of Rhodes Field, hosting Mount St. Mary's and Army West Point on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

The Quakers, who boast nine returning starters and an infusion of young talent, are poised for an exciting campaign under Nicole Van Dyke, the Douglas N. Brush Head Coach of Women's Soccer, who enters her fourth season at the helm. Among the returners are junior goalkeeper Kitty Qu, a first-team All-Ivy selection; three-time All-Ivy pick Allie Trzaska, who landed on the second team a year ago; and All-Ivy honorable mention sophomore defender Chase Geffert.

Ivy League on ESPN
The Ivy League Network has paired with ESPN and you will be able to find all Penn home women's soccer matches, as well as road Ivy matches, on ESPN+ this fall with the same high broadcast quality you've come to expect. ESPN+ is a new, subscription-based service that offers monthly ($4.99) and yearly ($49.99). Click here to subscribe to ESPN+ and start your 7-day free trial! Click here for frequently asked questions about the Ivy League on ESPN.

MATCH DAY 1 – Penn (0-0-0) vs. Mount St. Mary's (0-2-0)
Friday, August 24, 2018 | 7 p.m. | Rhodes Field | Live Stats | Video

Series Information
Records: Penn leads 3-0 | Last meeting: 2015 (Penn, 3-0)

The Quakers enter Friday undefeated in three matchups with The Mount, all coming in a three-year stretch from 2013-15. Penn held MSM scoreless in all three meetings – two were played in University City – combining to outscore the Northeast Conference opponents 8-0 in the process. The latest edition helped push the Quakers to 3-0 in Van Dyke's first season in Philadelphia.

Success in Season Openers
The Quakers are 15-11-1 all-time in their openers, but have dropped their last two, falling to Maryland and Lehigh in consecutive seasons. Van Dyke is 1-2 in campaign-opening contests at Penn, with her victory coming in 3-1 fashion over Seton Hall in 2015.

Previewing the Mountaineers
The Mount travels to Philadelphia to play its third road game on the trot, after dropping a pair of 3-0 results to American and Old Dominion to begin its season. However, the Mountaineers were entrenched in a tight 1-0 battle with the Monarchs before conceding two goals in the final 10 minutes.

Mount St. Mary's finished 5-12-1 in 2017, and will be taking on an Ivy League opponent for the first time since visiting Rhodes Field in 2015.

MATCH DAY 2 – Penn (0-0-0) vs. Army West Point (2-0-1)
Sunday, August 26, 2018 | 6 p.m. | Rhodes Field | Live Stats | Video

Series Information
Records: Penn leads 2-1 | Last meeting: 2016 (Penn, 2-0)

The Quakers will host the Black Knights for the first time since the initial meeting in Philadelphia back in 2009, when Penn defended home turf for a 1-0 victory. All three matchups with Army were low-scoring battles; Penn and Army have combined to score four goals in the series history. In the most recent game, Penn traveled to Clinton Field in West Point and left triumphant behind goals from Olivia Blaber and Cameo Hazlewood. Junior Emily Sands notched an assist in the win.

Previewing the Black Knights
Penn is hosting Army just two days after its season opener, but the Black Knights will be entering Rhodes Field with a chunk of their season already in the rearview. Army opened at Wagner back on August 17 with a 2-0 win before concluding the weekend with a 2-2 draw at home to Marshall. The Black Knights picked up another win on the road, this time by a goal over Iona, and will host Binghamton on Friday before arriving in University City. Five different players have scored, including Erynn Johns whose five points leads the squad.

Army finished 4-11-2 last season, and 2-6-1 in the Patriot League.