The 2018 season is underway for women's soccer

PROVO, Utah ­— The BYU women’s soccer team officially kicked off the 2018 season with the team’s first training session Wednesday morning.

Head coach Jennifer Rockwood will turn to a young squad as they look to bounce back after ending the 2017 season with a 7-8-4 overall record and a tie for fourth place in West Coast Conference play.

The Cougars lost seven seniors from last year, including 2018 National Women’s Soccer League draftees Taylor Isom and Nadia Gomes. However, the team will rely on the experience of returning starters Mikayla Colohan, Danika Bowman Serassio, Rachel Bingham Lyman and Alyssa Jefferson.

Captain Madie Siddoway Gates will be the lone senior on this year’s squad. Gates has recorded one goal, one assist and 28 shots in her career at BYU, while tallying two goals this past spring season. Sophomore Cameron Tucker and junior Elise Flake will join Gates in the offense after the two combined for nine goals in 2017.

Eight new players have joined the team for the 2018 season. Incoming freshmen are Olivia Wade, Bella Folino, Kendell Petersen, Ashton Brockbank, Lytiana Akinaka, Josie Bush and Natalie Clark. Junior Ella Ballstaedt also joined the team after transferring from the University of Utah. Steve Magleby will be another new face after joining Rockwood’s staff as an assistant coach in January.

The 2018 schedule features a tough preseason that is highlighted by an exhibition game against UCLA, a road match versus Texas A&M and the home opener against last year’s national champion Stanford.

The Cougars will play their annual Blue and White exhibition match at South Field on Saturday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. MDT before traveling to UCLA on Friday, Aug. 10. The final exhibition game will be the annual alumni scrimmage on Tuesday, Aug. 14, at 7 p.m. MDT.

Regular season play will kick off at Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. PDT with the home opener on Thursday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. MDT against Stanford. WCC competition will begin with former BYU assistant coach Chris Watkins returning to South Field with Gonzaga on Thursday, Sept. 27.

Tickets can be found at BYUTickets.com.

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