LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State women's soccer team begins the second leg of its four-match road trip to open the season, squaring off against Northern Arizona at 1 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 22, on Max Spilsbury Field at Lumberjack Stadium.
   
QUICK HITS

• Raeann Garcia, Cristina Bertoldo, Jess McDow, Valerie Maestas and Danielle Smith saw action for the first time in the Crimson & White on Friday against UTEP while Garcia and Bertoldo made their first-career start as an Aggie.
• Garcia recorded her first-career save between the pipes at the 11:40 mark.
• Aileen Galicia, Micaela Milavec, Dominique Rivera, Gabby Campbell and Sarina Stockton were the only Aggies to have started in both the 2015 and 2016 season openers.
•  The Aggies have five players on their roster that hail from the Grand Canyon State as it heads to Flagstaff, Ariz., this weekend.

 
EYEING THE LUMBERJACKS

• Monday's meeting between Northern Arizona and New Mexico State is just the third time the two programs have squared off (2009-10).
• The Aggies trail the all-time series against the Lumberjacks 0-1-1, with NAU taking the 3-1 win over NM State in Flagstaff, Ariz., back in 2009.
• New Mexico State and NAU settled for a 1-1 tie after extra periods in 2010 in Las Cruces.
• Northern Arizona only had four starters from last year's squad start in its 2016 opener.
• The Lumberjacks lost eight of their 21 letterwinners last season and have added 12 newcomers and three redshirts.
• NAU fell 4-1 against Western Athletic Conference defending champion Utah Valley on Friday at home in its 2016 opener.
• Northern Arizona's starting lineup against UVU consisted of three seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and a freshman.
• The Wolverines took a 1-0 lead at the half and exploded for three more goals in the second half.
• Freshman Malia Lyken scored the lone goal for NAU at the 83:20 minute mark.
• UVU outshot NAU 15-11 and held a 6-4 edge in corner kicks.
• Utah Valley freshman Tori Smith led the way with three points (1g, 1a) while Sara Callister, Breanna McCarter and Alexis Peterson all registered goals.
• NAU was 7-4 when playing on Max Spilsbury Field at Lumberjack Stadium
• They also return three of their top five scorers from last season.
• Junior Adrian Nixt and senior Lindsay Doyle are the top-two returning goal scorers (4) from last season. Nixt, a 2014 All-Big Sky Honorable Mention selection, finished with 11 points (4g, 3a) to Doyle's 10 (4g, 2a).

 
LAST TIME OUT

• NM State didn't start the season the way it wanted to, falling to I-10 rival UTEP 5-0 Friday night.
• The Aggies trailed just 1-0 heading into the break, but it would've been 1-1 had the UTEP keeper not made a tremendous dive to save the point-blank shot from Audriana Chavez.
• NM State held a 9-5 edge in shots at the half, but was outshot 6-2 in the second half.
• The Aggies also held a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks at the half, and couldn't register a corner kick opportunity in the second half to the Miners' two.
• Four of the five goals from UTEP came on set pieces; the last goal came via a penalty kick on a handball call against the Aggies in the box.

 
LOOKING AHEAD

• NM State Aggie fans will have an opportunity to see the new Under Armour uniforms for football, soccer and volleyball on Thursday, Sept. 1. The social hour begins at 5 p.m. before the fashion show like unveiling of the uniforms begins at 6:15 p.m. inside the Barnes & Noble Bookstore on campus.
• New Mexico State will have a quick turnaround after its game at Northern Arizona with matches at Valaparaiso on Friday, Aug. 26, and at UIC on Sunday, Aug. 28.
• Friday's contest at Valpo will be broadcast on ESPN3, while both matches will offer live stats coverage.
• UIC went 5-12-2 last season and 2-6-1 in the Horizon League while Valpo went 7-8-3 overall in 2015 and 4-4-1 in league play.
• The Crusaders dropped their 2016 season opener to IUPUI on Friday 2-0 while the Flames tied Northern Illinois on the road.