SEATTLE - The 2016 Seattle University women’s soccer season officially kicks off this weekend as the Redhawks travel to Austin, Texas to face the Texas Longhorns at Mike A. Myers Stadium & Soccer Field Friday at 7 p.m. CT, 5 p.m. PT.
FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS
Live Stats | Watch on the Longhorn Network
ABOUT THE REDHAWKS
Seattle U went 14-3-3 overall and 8-0-2 in WAC play in 2015, claiming the 2015 regular-season title before falling to UVU in the championship match of the WAC Tournament. The Redhawks return six starters from last year’s squad, along with a pair of key players from the 2014 lineup who redshirted last fall and senior transfer Brie Hooks who was the University of Colorado Female Athlete of the Year and an All-Pac-12 Second Team selection in 2014.
The Redhawks begin this season as the co-favorite to finish atop the Western Athletic Conference standings in a preseason vote of the league’s eight head coaches. Three players were also named to the 11-member Preseason All-WAC Team, including sophomore forward Kari White, redshirt sophomore midfielder Isabelle Butterfield and junior defender Stephanie Spiekerman.
White was SU’s second leading scorer during her rookie campaign, netting nine goals to go along with seven assists for 25 points. Butterfield, who redshirted the 2015 season, returns to the lineup this fall. As a freshman in 2014, she started all 22 matches, contributing two goals and one assist. Spiekerman, a two-time All-WAC second team selection, returns to anchor the Redhawks’ back line, which tallied 13 shutouts last fall.
SERIES HISTORY
This marks just the second time the Redhawks and Longhorns have met in women’s soccer. The first meeting came during the 2011 season, resulting in a 1-0 victory for Texas in Austin.