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The Bowling Green women’s soccer team hopes to shake two early season losses this weekend as they compete in the La Quinta Inn ‘amp; Suites Mountain Classic hosted by Northern Arizona University.
Tomorrow, the Falcons will face the hosting Lumberjacks before playing Boise State on Sunday.
‘They’ll both be tough games,’ BG coach Andy Richards said.
The Lumberjacks opened their season much like the Falcons, dropping their first two regular season games. NAU was shutout 3-0 Friday by San Diego, who is ranked No. 25 in the nation. Two days later, they were topped 2-1 by San Diego State.
The squad includes 17 letter winners from last year, giving them a wealth of experience. Kaitlin Baum, a freshmen target forward who scored the Lumberjacks’ lone goal over the weekend, will likely challenge the Falcon defense.
‘It will be a very tough game for us, but we need stiff competition right now,’ Richards said.
Boise State opened its season at home Sunday with a 3-0 loss to No. 26 ranked Utah. The Broncos also have a roster full of experienced players, as 19 athletes are back from last year’s squad which went 9-8-2. Boise State boasts a strong defense anchored by Western Athletic Conference preseason team members Kim Parker, defender, and Stephanie Campbell, keeper.
After a frustrating weekend, the Falcons spent Monday resting before returning to conditioning and practice Tuesday.
Richards said the squad is specifically focusing on competing stronger heading into this weekend’s tournament.
A possible boost for the Falcons will come from the return of forward Britt Anderson, who has been out with an ankle injury. Richards is hopeful she will return for either Friday or Sunday’s match. Meanwhile, Richards is counting on a solid performance over the weekend.
‘If we perform well and get some good results, I’ll be absolutely delighted,’ he said.