Griffins Open 10th Season at Franklin Pierce Classic
Westminster will begin the 2016 regular season this weekend in Rindge, N.H. where they play a pair of games at the Franklin Pierce Classic. The Griffins will open play by facing Caldwell on Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. MT. They will then battle Felician on Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. MT. Both games will be played at Sodexho Field at Franklin Pierce University.
 
Historic Season for Women's Soccer
The 2016 season will mark the 10th season of competition for the Westminster women's soccer program. The Griffins have gone 96-66-13 (.586) all-time and they have recorded six straight seasons with at least 10 wins. The Griffins went 10-6-1 (.618) last season, its first competing in the RMAC and against a NCAA Division II schedule. During eight seasons in the NAIA, Westminster made three trips to the NAIA National Championships and won two Frontier Conference regular season titles.
 
Experience Returning
The Griffins will return 20 players from that 2015 squad that finished sixth in the RMAC. That includes 19 players that appeared in a game last season and 10 of the 23 goals that were scored. In total the 2016 squad returns 43.5 percent of the goals scored in 2015 along with 58.8 percent of the assists and 61.3 percent of total shot attempts.
 
Coming in Hot
Westminster will begin the new season having won its final three games of 2015 and two straight conference games. The Griffins have won 24 consecutive games when they score at least three goals in a game and they are unbeaten in 30 straight games when scoring at least two goals.
 
All-Conference Performer
Madison Roemer returns for her senior season after being named second team all-RMAC at forward last season. Roemer finished the year second on the Griffins with four goals and 10 points last season. She attempted 46 shots with 18 on goal while starting all 17 games the team played. Roemer scored two game-winning-goals and led all Griffin forwards with 1,374 minutes played.
 
Quickly
• Westminster hasn't allowed an opponent to score multiple goals in a game at Dumke Field since October 20, 2013. During that 17-game span the team is 13-2-2 with nine shutouts. They have outscored the opposition 35-8 in those games and will begin the year without allowing a goal at home in 180 minutes.
 
• Senior Heidi Lorschider returns for her final season after scoring two goals and recording two assists in 2015. Lorschider is tied for 16th in team history with 14 career points and her six career assists rank tied for 10th all-time. She also ranks 16th in team history in shots attempted (51) and 18th in shots on goal (26).
 
• Senior Maddie Lewis has been a constant on the Griffins backline the past three seasons. Lewis will begin the year eighth in team history with 4,615 minutes played. She has started 50 consecutive games – the fourth longest streak in team history – while playing in 52 straight games to rank eighth all-time. Westminster has allowed just 40 goals during her consecutive games played streak, an average of 0.77 per contest.
 
• Junior Jayne Christensen will join Lewis on the Griffins backline having played in 36 consecutive games dating back to her freshman season in 2014. Last season, Christensen made 16 starts and recorded 1,064 minutes of action. She tallied one assists and attempted 10 shots with three on goal from her defensive position.
 
• Senior Alicia May will play an important role in the Griffins' midfield in 2016. May played in all 17 games last season and made 14 starts. She finished the year with one goal and two assists while taking six shots. May was second on the team with 17 corner kicks in 849 minutes played.
 
• Sophomore McKell Kellogg will look to build on a freshman campaign that saw her score two goals – including one game-winner – and tally one assist. Kellogg played in all 17 games a year ago and made five starts.
 
• Junior Breanna Empey is the only returning goalkeeper with any experience after playing in six games and making four starts in 2015. She finished the season with a 1.37 goals-against-average and .667 save percentage. Empey was 1-3-1 on the year with one shutout.
 
Match Facts: Caldwell
• Friday will be the first-ever meeting between the Griffins and Cougars.
• Caldwell went 11-9-1 last season and advanced to the CACC Championship Game.
• Goalkeeper Mary Kanzler returns after being named the CACC Rookie of the Year in 2015.
• The Cougars also return Jessica Garretson and Emily Valerian who were each named second team all-conference.
 
Match Facts: Felician
• Westminster will face Felician for the first time on Sunday.
• The Golden Eagles finished 8-10-0 in 2015 and reached the semifinals of the CACC Tournament.
• Felician was picked to finish seventh in the CACC this season.
• They return Carly Bratner who was named second team all-conference last season.
 
Looking Ahead
The Griffins will play their first home game of the season on September 11 when they host Saint Martin's on Dumke Field. They will also welcome Dixie State to Salt Lake City on September 13.