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SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster College women's soccer team will kickoff the 2013 season with a pair of home games at Dumke Field this week. The year starts on Tuesday as the Griffins play host to Jamestown (N.D.) at 6:30 p.m. They return to play on Saturday with a noon contest against The Master's (Calif.).
Both games this week will have live stats available and be streamed live on Griffins TV. Links for all of the live features can be found in the calendar section of WestminsterGriffins.com.
GRIFFIN NOTEBOOK
Westminster welcomes back 15 players from a 2012 squad that finished with a 12-5-1 overall record. They also bring in 15 newcomers with many that should contribute right away.
This year's team will have to replace four top offensive players from a team that set school records for goals and assists last season. Westminster will play four new forwards and three new midfielders this season in hopes to expand on those record numbers.
The back line should be strength to the team in 2013. Most of the back line that returns started last season and has been playing the majority of minutes for the past few seasons. Both keepers on this year's roster are also back from last season.
MINER ANCHORS THE BACK
Junior Miranda Miner is the anchor of the Griffin back line. She played 1,640 minutes in 2012 to lead all players and she hasn't missed a game during her two seasons as a Griffins. With Miner on the roster, Westminster has given up just 1.15 goals per game with 14 shutouts.
IN NET WITH WILKINSON
Jamie Wilkinson will be the primary goalkeeper in 2013. The junior appeared in 10 games last season and posted a 0.99 goals-against-average with 38 saves. She recorded a 7-1-0 record with two shutouts and a .809 save percentage.
ALL-CONFERENCE CARTER
Junior Nicole Carter returns to the Griffins back line after being named All-Frontier Conference a season ago. A versatile defender, Carter also scored a pair of goals in 2012 and played a total of 967 minutes. She took six shots on the season and managed four of them on goal.
KEEPING UP WITH COOPER
Carissa Cooper is back after a 2012 season that saw her scored five goals in just 613 minutes of action. She closed out the year with a hat trick in the Griffins 7-1 win over Houston-Victoria (Texas). Her hat trick was just the fourth in school history and the first by a sophomore.
AGAINST THE OPPOSITION
Tuesday's game against Jamestown is the first meeting between the two teams all-time.
The Master's holds a 1-0 edge in all-time games against the Griffins. That previous meeting came on Sept. 18, 2009 where the Mustangs took a 2-0 win at Dumke Field.
WESTMINSTER SPORTS REPORT
The 2013-14 season will mark the debut of the Westminster Sports Report on Griffins TV. The Sports Report will air twice a month on the Griffins internet channel and feature a look inside all of your favorite Westminster teams. The premier episode will air on Wednesday, August 21 and feature season previews for women's volleyball along with men's and women's soccer.
FOLLOWING THE GRIFFINS
To keep up with all of the latest news and information about the Westminster women's volleyball team, fans are encouraged to "Like" the Griffins on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. And as always, make sure to visit WestminsterGriffins.com for all things Griffins during the 2013 season.
LOOKING AHEAD
Next week the Griffins travel to Chicago to play two games over Labor Day Weekend. They open at Saint Xavier (Ill.) on August 31 at 10:30 a.m. before facing Saint Francis on Sept. 2 at 10 a.m.
