LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State women's soccer wraps up its season-opening road trip against Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Friday, Aug. 24, at 8 p.m. (MT) before returning to the City of Crosses for its home-opener on Sunday, Aug. 26, at 1 p.m. against Pacific.
 
Where to Watch
There is no stream for the Northern Arizona match. Fans unable to make it to the Soccer Athletic Complex for the home opener against Pacific can watch live on the WAC Digital Network.
 
Follow Along
Aggie fans can follow along with every Aggie women's soccer match throughout the season via live stats from StatBroadcast.
 
Get Connected
Get connected with all things NM State women's soccer by following the Aggies on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook at FB.com/NMStateWSOC.
 
10 YEARS IN THE MAKING
To help the NM State women's soccer team celebrate its 10^th season on the pitch, there are game day promotions throughout the season starting against Pacific. Students who attend Sunday's match and then attend foot golf at the NM State Golf Course at 5 p.m., are entered to win a pair of Beats headphones or an XBOX One. Students get in free with an NMSU ID!
 
As always, kids 12 and under receive free entry to all Aggie soccer games at the Soccer Athletic Complex.
 
Quick Hits
New Mexico State plays the last of its three road games to open 2018 at Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Friday, Aug. 24, before taking on Pacific Sunday, Aug. 26, in the home-opener.
 
Aileen Galicia is NM State's all-time leading goal-scorer with 23 and scored the Aggies' 1st goal of the season against Albany in Tucson, Ariz. A dynamic scorer, Galicia tops the record books in points (56) and multi-goal games with four. She also creates for her teammates, standing at 10 assists which is third-most all-time.
 
Senior center back Samantha Afonso was named to the 2018 Women's Premier Soccer League Northwest All-Conference team. Afonso was a member of Eugene Timbers FC Azul of the WPSL during summer of 2018. She has appeared in 60 games in the crimson and white with 45 starts, including both games so far in 2018, all 21 games her junior year and 19 of 20 games as a sophomore for a total of 3,902 minutes.
 
Immediate Impact
Freshmen and first year players have started and played significant minutes in both games for NM State this season. Transfers Emma Smith and Kaitlyn May started against San Diego State alongside freshmen Jayden Anderson and Grace Olson while Alexa Barrera came off the bench for 28 minutes.
 
Freshman Mia Montano started alongside Olson and Anderson against Albany with Lece Aviles, Sarah Trent, Corey Kizer and Barrera providing solid minutes off the bench. May and Smith also started against Albany.
 
Montano recorded four saves while Smith and Trent both got off shots for the Aggies last weekend, with Smith's coming on a volley that just missed over the crossbar against San Diego State and Trent's coming late in the first half against Albany.
 
A Look at the Lumberjacks
This is the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs with Northern Arizona holding a 2-1-1 edge, NM State won the most recent meeting, 3-2, on Sept. 17, 2017, at home, with goals from Audriana Chavez, Rebecca Mazzie and Tuti Tirado. Northern Arizona finished 2017 with a 9-10-1 record overall and a 4-5-1 record in the Big Sky Conference, good for a fifth place tie.
 
The Lumberjacks are coming off a 2-0 win against Cal State Northridge in which freshman forward Sam Larberg scored her first career goal. NAU also dropped its season-opener to Portland, 2-0.
 
Scouting Pacific
This will be the first-ever matchup between the two teams.  Pacific finished its 2017 campaign 5-13-2 overall and a 2-7-0 mark in West Coast Conference play. They were also picked to finish 10^th in the Preseason WCC Poll. The Tigers return leading goal-scorer Bryndis Thorolfsdottir (4g) who was named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman team.
 
In the season-opener against George Washington, goalie Regan Heslop made 13 saves but Pacific lost, 1-0. The Tigers then lost 1-0 to Navy after giving up the lone goal in the 11^th minute.
 
Weekend in Review
NM State hit the road to open 2018 at San Diego State on Friday, Aug. 17, and dropped a 1-0 decision. The two teams were evenly matched through 84 minutes but SDSU's Taylor Moorehead shook a double-team in the box and buried the game winner in the 85^th minute. Both teams took eight shots while the Aztecs held the edge in shots on goal, 4-3.
 
The Aggies then headed to Tucson where they took on Albany on Sunday, Aug. 18, where they lost, 3-1. Senior forward Aileen Galicia scored the 23^rd goal of her career in the 86^th minute, beating Albany's Andrea Leitner.
 
Up Next
NM State hosts Northern Illinois on Friday, Aug. 31, at 4 p.m., before hitting the road again to take on Abilene Christian at 12 p.m. (MT) on Sunday, Sept. 2. There is no stream for the Northern Illinois matchup but Aggie fans can stream the match at Abilene Christian thanks to ACU On Demand.