Kearney, Neb. – After two weeks on the road, the Nebraska-Kearney women's soccer team finally has its home opener this Friday, September 18th, when the rival Fort Hays State Tigers come to down.

The game -- a Blue Out -- kicks off at 7:00 p.m. and there will be a flurry of events and promotions around this non-MIAA contest.

At 6:00 p.m., a student tail gate will begin and the first 75 UNK students will receive a free Jimmy John's sandwich. Next, the first 100 students in the student section will receive a free Loper rally towel. At half time, fans can participate in "bubble soccer". Finally, Loperville will be open prior to kickoff (no alcohol) for tail gaiting.

The Lopers (1-1-2) are coming off a 2-0 road loss to one of the top teams in the Central Region, Augustana. Two days earlier, UNK pounded Wayne State, 4-1.

Hays, coming off a 13-5-2 (10-2-2 MIAA) season, is off to a bit of a slow start, posting a 1-3-0 mark. While they beat SW Minnesota State, 1-0, they've lost three in a row, including a 1-0 setback to nationally-ranked Winona State.

Last fall, FHSU beat UNK in Kansas in double overtime, 1-0, and then won late in the year at Cope Stadium, 4-1. In its short history, the Lopers are 2-3-0 all-time vs. Hays.

To date, four Tigers have taken seven or more shots, including seniors Jordan Hester (# 31) and Kylee Loneker (# 10). Defensively, sophomore keeper Kristen Thompson has started three times, stopping 13 shots and posting a 1.00 GAA. She earned both wins vs. UNK last season.

On Sunday, UNK heads down the road to face Washburn in Topeka. The non-league game kicks off at 1:00 p.m.

The Ichabods (0-1-2) last win came by penalty kicks over UNK in a 2013 MIAA Tournament first round game in Topeka. First-year head coach Chris Jones saw his team tie SW Minnesota, 0-0, at home on September 6th. Three days later, they had the same result against Rockhurst, a club that also tied the Lopers.

Prior to facing the Lopers, Washburn hosts Newman (Wed.) and Emporia State (Fri.).

Junior keeper Kaitlin Minnich has a solid 0.58 GAA and 23 saves with Washburn having taken 10 shots on the other side of the field. Junior Cadence Bourne (# 10) has tallied the team's lone goal after being named honorable mention All-MIAA in 2014.

A deep Loper quad will enter Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field having taken 44 shots to date with a balanced attack led by senior co-captain Montanna Hosterman (10 shots, lone goal) and junior Evie Sintek (eight shots, two goals).

Hosterman needs just three more goals and five more points to become UNK's all-time leader in both categories. Becka Talcott currently holds the career marks in those areas with 42 points on 17 goals.

Last Thursday at Wayne, Sintek (Norfolk H.S.) joined Hosterman, Morgan Abert and Mckinzie Rieber as the only Lopers in school history to score twice in a single game. Those were also her first two collegiate goals.

In goal, true freshman Ali Hirschman has been great, saving 17 shots and managing an 0.81 GAA. Current senior Katelin Mielke set the school record for GAA in a season at 0.94 back in 2013.

UNK begins a three-game MIAA home stand when Missouri Southern State (Fri.) and Southwest Baptist (Sun.) vist next weekend.