Kearney, Neb. – For the fourth time in school history, the Nebraska-Kearney women's soccer team will open up the regular season at home.

The Lopers host the first-ever UNK Fall Classic Friday at the new Kearney High School and then Sunday at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

UNK will face two Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) squads in Rockhurst University and William Jewell College. The University of Sioux Falls is the other team in the tourney.

On both days, the Lopers play the early game, facing the RU Hawks Friday at 5:00 p.m. and the WJC Cardinals Sunday at 11:00 a.m. USF tangles with William Jewell Friday at 8:00 p.m. and Rockhurst at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Live stats will be able both days; the UNK-WJC game will be streamed via Stretch Internet.

Kearney is 0-1-1 all-time vs. RU, which is located in Kansas City. The Lopers lost 2-0 in 2013 in Omaha and then were fit to be tied last fall in K.C., 1-1 (2 OT's). In that game, both teams scored in the second half with the Hawks recording their lone goal with just six minutes left.

Senior Courtney Silberberg tallied that game tying goal and went on to lead her team in shots (51), points (16) and goals (seven). Rockhurst also returns senior Nicole Keeve (38 shots and 14 points) and sophomore Mackenzie Moore (14 shots and four assists), an Elkhorn South graduate.

Picked to finish fifth in the 16-team GLVC, RU also returns its keeper in senior Ali Wallner. She went 4-4-5 last fall, recording four shut outs and having a 1.19 GAA.

Down the road from Rockhurst in Liberity, Mo., is William Jewell. The Cards, picked 12th in the GLVC preseason poll, went 7-8-3 in 2015 and return several top players.

Sophomore Emma Baldridge took 34 shots last season, finishing with 12 points on five goals. Next, senior Emily Monroe went for 10 points on four goals with sophomore Alyson Galler having four assists and taking 22 shots.

In goal, junior Jordan Lewis blanked four teams to post a 5-5-2 record. She had a 1.20 GAA and made 53 saves. UNK and WJC battled to a 1-1 tie in the 2015 opener. Kearney outshot the Cards 18-15 with both teams scoring in the first half.

The Lopers went on to finish 5-10-4, going 2-3-2 at home. UNK reached the MIAA Tournament and returns the majority of its starting lineup.

Seniors Evie Sintek (Norfolk) and Kadie Walaszczyk (Houston, Texas) are the top returning scorers, both having six points on three goals. Sintek took the second most shots (21) on the team behind all-time leading scorer Montanna Hosterman (35). Hostermann led UNK in most offensive categories each of the past four falls.

Walaszczyk, a 2015 honorable mention All-MIAA pick, joined current junior Marika Van Brocklin (Hastings) and sophomores Kelsie Ienn (Papillion-LaVista) and Michaela Hoffman (Fruita, Colo.) as Lopers to start 18 times last season.

In goal, sophomore Ali Hirschman (Millard South) had a productive first collegiate campaign. She maintained a 1.73 GAA, stopped 91 shots and blanked two opponents. Finally, fifth-year senior Kristyn Otter (Millard North) will be back on the field after missing 2015 due to injury. She has logged over 4,000 minutes in a Loper uniform.

UNK remains home next week when rival Wayne State stops by Wednesday night