MONMOUTH, Ore. --- The Western Oregon women's soccer team kicks off its 2022 campaign noon Thursday as the Wolves travel to take on Sonoma State in California before returning home to take on Colorado Mesa in its home opener noon Sunday - opening the season against a pair of teams that won their respective conferences a year ago.

WOLVES HEADING INTO THE SEASON | 2021 STATISTICS
WOU is coming off a 5-10-3 season, including going 4-7-3 and just missing the GNAC Tournament by a game - finishing fifth.

The Wolves return six of the eight players that logged more than 1,000 minutes for them last season in Hannah Rispler (one goal, three assists, 1,494 minutes), Erika Moreno-Gonzalez (team-high five assists, 1,484 minutes), Chloe Smith (four assists, 1,424 minutes), Jenna Efraimson (two goals, one assist, 1,394 minutes), Liz Parker (one goal, 1,375 minutes) and Camille Darland (1,054 minutes). The Wolves also return top goal and point scorer from last season in Lilly Nowatzke (four goals, two assists, 951 minutes) as well as Alyssa Talkington who had three goals and an assists in 494 minutes (11 games, five starts). At keeper, Darien Walton (nine starts, 1.87 GAA, 675 minutes) and Olivia Holdenried (seven games, four starts, 1.13 GAA, 477 minutes) return for WOU.

Also expect a bevy of newcomers to see time for the Wolves in 2022.

SONOMA STATE HEADING INTO THE SEASON | 2021 STATISTICS
The Seawolves return three first team All-CCAA selections to a team that went 15-6-0 in 2021 and won the CCAA regular season title with an 8-3-0 record. They earned an at-large bid to the NCAA West Regional after falling ti Cal State East Bay in the conference tournament championship game. SSU picked up a first-round win with a dominating 5-0 victory over Hawaii Hilo before seeing their postseason run come to an end against the top-seeded Falcons of Seattle Pacific. It was the seventh consecutive season the Seawolves finished in the top 3 in the standings and their third CCAA regular season championship since 2016. They will bring back eight starters to a team that allowed only 0.62 goals per match, including goalkeeper Phoebe Barnes and 2021 CCAA Defensive Player of the Year Julia Pritchard. Sonoma State was the top-scoring team in the conference last season and the only team to average over two goals per match (2.05).

COLORADO MESA HEADING INTO THE SEASON | 2021 STATISTICS
The Mavericks are coming off their first regular-season RMAC title since 2000 after going 14-4 overall and 10-2 in conference play. The Mavericks boast the reigning RMAC Player of the Year in redshirt sophomore forward Lila Dere, who tied for the league lead with 15 goals, and redshirt junior Michaela Dangler, who won the program's first RMAC Defensive Player of the Year award as well as RMAC Academic Player of the Year honors. Megan Remec returns for her third season as CMU head coach after being named the RMAC Coach of the Year for the 2021 season.

RECENT HISTORY VERSUS SONOMA STATE, COLORADO MESA
The Wolves last played Sonoma State last season where they lost at home 2-0 - playing the Seawolves for the first time since 2010. Western Oregon also took on Colorado Mesa last season, losing to the Mavericks 2-1 in Grand Junction with Jada Foster scoring the Wolves' goal on a Hannah Rispler assist.