FRIDAY, MAY 25

Real Salt Lake Women vs. Calgary Foothills Women's FC
7:00 PM MDT - RSL Academy (Herriman, UT)

Calgary kicks off their 2018 season in the UWS West with a road match inside the spacious confines of Zions Bank RSL Academy on Friday evening against an already tested RSL Women side, who played two matches last weekend and top the conference with a 1-0-1 record (four points). Head Coach Troye Flannery is looking to top last year's success, where his side finished in second place in their inaugural season. He has signed a great mix of returning players and newcomers that include the likes of forward Joelle Gosselin (who led the team in scoring in 2017 and was a All-UWS West First Team selection) and goalkeeper Emily Burns (All-UWS Second Team, All-UWS West First Team and Calgary's Fan Player of the Year). First-year players like forwards Alex Lamontagne (Syracuse Univ.) & Christabel Oduro (Memphis Univ.) add pop to the lineup as both have been capped at the senior international level for Canada.

Foothills WFC faces a talented Real Salt Lake team who opened their 2018 campaign at home last Friday night and took to the road for a Sunday match in Colorado. Head Coach Mark Davis can be proud of his team's start (1-0-1) as every positive result is going to matter in a deep UWS West race this summer. Supporters and Utah Royals FC (NWSL) players alike were there to support the RSL Women when they kicked off against the Santa Clarita Blue Heat. The hosts controlled the match early on, holding possession for much of the first half, and generated a couple good shots on goal including a blast from forward Colette Smith from 30 yards that rattled the crossbar. Santa Clarita was able to find control of the ball more often in the second half but ultimately, despite a lot of quality play from both sides, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. Last Sunday at Mountain Lion Stadium in Colorado Springs, Real Salt Lake came from behind to notch a 3-2 win and put them on top of the West.

The Colorado Pride jumped on top early in the match, as Venezuelan youth international Veronica Herrara netted a header off of Beth Plentl's corner kick in the 11th minute. RSLW applied high pressure early and it paid off six minutes later as forward Hailey North evened the score on a pass from defender Grace Johnson. In the second half, North gained the edge for the visitors as she entered the penalty area and scored her second of the match midway through the frame. Real went up 3-1 in the 76th minute when Colette Smith split two Pride defenders and put it past goalkeeper Kaylyn Smith. The Pride immediately responded but could not even the score. Both North and Johnson were named to the UWS Team of the Week for their efforts. Calgary will look to make an immediate impression in their first match of this season as they have yet to defeat Real Salt Lake, going 0-1-1 against them last season without registering a goal scored.

SATURDAY, MAY 26

Santa Clarita Blue Heat vs. LA Galaxy OC Women
6:00 PM PDT - Master's University (Santa Clarita, CA)

LA Galaxy OC Women and Head Coach Scott Juniper commence their inaugural campaign in the UWS West with a big test, traveling a little bit north to take on an experienced and successful Santa Clarita Blue Heat side. Yet, Juniper has assembled a rock solid roster that he can feel will be able to stand the pressure of the deep lineup of teams in the conference. Former University of Colorado and current Mexico Women's National Team defender Joss Orejel solidifies his defense, as she was just called up for their recent friendlies against the USWNT. Former Cal State Fullerton star & Seattle Reign FC trialist Morgan Batcheller also adds more veteran presence to the LAGOC backline. More international flair was added via signings like U-20 Australian National Team members Brooke Goodrich & Ayesha Norrie while U-20 Ghana forward Sherifatu Sumaila helps lead the offense.

After a solid 0-0 draw on the road against the Real Salt Lake Women last week, Santa Clarita have already been bolstered by the news that former Penn Sate University and Orlando Pride midfielder Nickolette Driesse has signed for the team this season. After the conclusion of her Nittany Lions career, Driesse was the 32nd overall pick by Orlando in the 2017 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft. She appeared in four matches for the Pride during the 2017 NWSL season before being waived in February, despite her strong play and potential. Nikki joins a stacked Blue Heat squad who already possess a strong veteran core. Team co-captains Kelsey Gudgeon (2016 All-UWS selection) and Lauren Sesselmann (2017 All-UWS selection & former Canadian international) lead the team alongside fellow defender Yadira Toraya, who was just named UWS Defensive Player of the Week after last Friday's draw.

About United Women's Soccer (UWS): UWS is a national women's soccer league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer. UWS is a professionally operated league created for teams that meet high minimum standards. The season runs from May until the end of July, culminating in a National Championship match. The UWS player pool is comprised of college players, aspiring & former professionals and international stars. You can follow UWS on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media can contact UWS Director of Communications Jorma Kansanen by e-mail at UWSPress@gmail.com. You can visit the league's official website at UWSSoccer.com. Interested team applicants can contact League Commissioner Joe Ferrara, Jr. by e-mail at Joe@UWSSoccer.com.