LARAMIE, Wyo. (Aug. 21, 2013) - The University of Wyoming women’s soccer team will open the 2013 season this week on the road at the University of Montana Kickoff Invitational with matches against TCU and Montana.

The Cowgirls will meet the Horned Frogs at 3 p.m. Friday and face the Grizzlies on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Missoula.

“TCU is an up-and-coming soccer program and Montana has had our number the last few years,” head coach Pete Cuadrado said. “They could be two tough matches for us, but it’s one weekend at a time and we’re excited to get the season started.”

Wyoming was picked to finish seventh by league coaches in the preseason poll and is coming off an 8-8-2 record in 2012 with seven returning starters, including three All-MW performers in Lucie McDowell, Liz O’Reilly and Sara Paul. O’Reilly and Paul were named First Team All-Conference, while McDowell was named Second Team.

Also returning is senior Olivia Mohtadi, who played in all 18 games for the Cowgirls and contributed five goals. Juniors Kasey Curtis and Loren Mahoney each had two goals a season ago as did sophomore midfielder Mollee Ramsay.

A look at the Horned Frogs: After playing in the Big 12 championship match a year ago, the 2013 preseason coaches’ poll tagged the Horned Frogs to finish seventh. TCU landed sophomore Bobbi Clemmer on the 2013 Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Clemmer was named to the Big 12’s All-Newcomer Team last season.

TCU was 7-10-4 in 2012 and returns 11 members from last season’s squad to go along with 15 newcomers. Wyoming has won the last seven matches against TCU and holds a 9-2-1 all-time record against the Horned Frogs.

In the last meeting, UW beat TCU 2-1 on Nov. 11, 2011, in double overtime in the first round of the 2011 MW Championship. Sara Paul gave Wyoming the lead with a goal in the 18th minute, but TCU’s Natalie Werner tied the game with a goal of her own in the 30th minute. A Liz O’Reilly score in the 102nd minute gave the Cowgirls the first-ever postseason win in program history.

A look at the Griz: The University of Montana soccer team has played in each of the last two Big Sky Tournament Championship matches and was picked third in the 2013 preseason conference coaches’ poll. Individually, the Grizzlies had four players placed on the Preseason All-Conference Second Team, all of whom were Honorable Mention All-Big Sky in 2012:  seniors Maddey Frey and Mary Makris, junior Tyler Adair and sophomore Mackenzie Akins.

Montana welcomed back six starters after going 12-6-3 in 2012 and winning a share of the Big Sky Conference. Montana holds a 5-2 all-time record against Wyoming.

The Cowgirls came up short in a 2-0 loss to the Grizzlies on Aug. 16, 2012, in Missoula. Montana got on the board in the 15th minute and then in the 55^th with goals from Ashley Tombelaine and Erin Craig. For Wyoming, Mollee Ramsay had three shots as Loren Mahoney added two. Olivia Mohtadi, Sydney Jones, Jenny Johnson and Lucie McDowell all contributed one shot apiece.

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