GUNNISON, Colo. - Western State Colorado University women's soccer will get their fourth season underway Thursday at Gateway Field. The Mountaineers will host No. 16 Texas A&M University-Commerce at 3 p.m. on Thursday to open the 2015 season. Western will then host Texas A&M International University on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Admission to women's soccer on Gateway Field is $5 for adults and $5 for students without IDs. Seniors, kids under five, Mountaineer Athletic Association members with cards and students with Western IDs receive free admission.

GAME NOTES

SEASON OPENERS
Western is 2-1 in season openers. The Mountaineers are 1-0 in season openers against schools from Texas and 1-0 against schools from the Lone Star Conference.

STARTING STRONG
In the past two seasons, Western has started the season with a bang. In the first four games each season, the Mountaineers have only recorded one loss. Since 2013, Western
has a combined record of 6-1-1 in the first four matches of the season.

FINDING THE BACK OF THE NET
Goals were hard to come by last season for the Mountaineers. However, Western was undefeated in 2014 (3-0) when scoring two or more goals.

THE CRIMSON CURTAIN
Western's defense ranked among the best in Division II last season. The Mountaineers
recorded nine shutouts and ranked in the top-45 nationally in save percentage (.861), goals against average (.71) and shutout percentage (.500).

PRESEASON STANDINGS
Heading into their fourth season as a program, Western was picked to finish sixth in the conference preseason coaches' poll. The pick is the highest preseason selection in Western women's soccer program history.
2015 RMAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Colorado Mines (8) - 117
2. MSU Denver (3) - 109
3. Regis (1) - 97
4. Fort Lewis - 86
5. CSU-Pueblo - 71
6. Western State Colorado - 61
7. UCCS - 56
8. New Mexico Highlands - 54
9. Colorado Mesa - 49
10.Adams State - 46
11.Colorado Christian - 28
12.Westminster - 18

FAMILIAR FACES
Western returns 19 letterwinners from 2014. This will be the first time in Western Women's Soccer three-year history that the team will have seniors on their roster. Western's six seniors - GK Meghan Jedrzejewski, MF Elyza Montano, D Ari Gibeault, D Brianna Vega, D Tanisha Anderson, F Sadie Stark - have started the previous three years and have played a combined 289 matches as Mountaineers.