LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State women's soccer team opens the 2019 season with a pair of home matches against Abilene Christian at 4 p.m. (MT) on Friday, Aug. 23, and Wyoming on Sunday, Aug. 25, at noon.
 
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Where to Watch
Both of NM State's matches this weekend can be streamed live thanks to the WAC Digital Network.
 
Follow Along
Fans can keep up with all of this weekend's action with live stats from StatBroadcast.
 
Bark in the Park
Sunday's match against Wyoming is set to feature our first promotion of the season, Bark in the Park! Fans are encouraged to bring their canine companions to enjoy the afternoon with us at the Soccer Athletic Complex.
 
Football Season Ticket Pickup
The Aggies' matchup against Wyoming on Sunday at 1 p.m. will also be a football season ticket pickup site. All fans who pick up their season tickets at the match receive free entry.
 
Transfer Time
Head coach Rob Baarts added 10 student-athletes to his squad for the 2019 season including Phoenix College transfer Eliudth Gonzalez and Oregon State transfer Shea O'Connor.
 
O'Connor joins the Aggies after appearing in 37 games to go with 13 starts in two seasons with Oregon State. Before joining the Beavers, O'Connor was a star at Creswell High School in Eugene, Ore., where she holds the conference record for most goals (117). The 5-4 forward was also a two-time First-Team All-State selection and the conference MVP as a senior.
 
Gonzalez comes to the Mesilla Valley after a stellar junior college career at Phoenix College. The Phoenix, Ariz., native scored 59 goals in two seasons while her 31 goals in 2017 were good for fourth in NJCAA Division I. She also added 34 assists during her time at Phoenix College.
 
Fresh Faces
Along with O'Connor and Gonzalez, Baarts added eight freshmen with Amanda Aleman, Maddie Franklin, Jordan Gregory, Xitlaly Hernandez, Hannah Leitner, Andrea Ridgely, Hannah Rivera and Talia Williamson joining NM State for the 2019 season.  
 
Aleman hails from Chino Hills, Calif., where she lettered all four years at Chino Hills High School. The midfielder helped guide the Huskies to a D1 Baseline League Championship as a freshman and also helped Chino Hills to there-consecutive CIF Quarterfinal appearances.
 
Franklin comes to the Aggies from Frontier High School in Bakersfield, Calif. The defender led Frontier to a second-place finish in the South West Yosemite League during the 2017-18 school year. She also helped guide her club team, South Valley Soccer Club, to the National Cup Final.
 
Gregory, from Discovery Bay, Calif., attended Liberty High School where she helped guide the Lions to the California Interscholastic Federation-North Coast Section Division I championship following the 2016-17 season. The Lions also captured the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Bay Valley Athletic League championship with Gregory on the squad.
 
Hernandez, the younger sister of Jody Hernandez, was a three year letter-winner at Thunderbird High School in Phoenix. She helped guide Thunderbird to a 16-2-2 record and a 4A state championship appearance as a sophomore.
 
Leitner is a speedy forward who attended University High School in Tucson, Ariz., where she scored 30 goals to go with 18 assists. She was also named First-Team All-Southern Arizona from 2015-17. To go with her skills on the pitch, Leitner also starred on the track, as she earned First-Team All-Southern Arizona honors in 2015-17 and she was a state finalist in the 400m and 800m her senior year. Look for her to make an immediate impact up top.
 
Ridgely, from Allen, Texas, is a solid addition to the NM State midfield. The midfielder guided Allen High to a 23-1-2 record, a Texas 6-6A Region 2 District 9 title and an appearance in the Region 2 championship game as a senior. She was also named Second-Team All-Conference following the 2017-18 season.
 
Rivera is a flexible player who can slot into the midfield or the back line. A native of Albuquerque, Rivera led La Cueva High School to a state championship as a junior and to state championship appearances as a sophomore and a senior. Rivera also notched the game-winning goal in overtime of the state championship. She was named First-Team all-District as a junior.
 
Williamson hails from Tucson, Ariz., and will play defense for the Aggies. The Cienega High School graduate led the Bobcats to a third-place finish in the Arizona 5A Southern Section during the 2016-17 season. Also at Cienega, Williamson won the Walden Grove Invitational Tournament.
 
A Look at the Wildcats
The Aggies and Wildcats last met on Sept. 2, 2018, with ACU winning 3-2 in Abilene in a game that featured a two-hour lightening delay. After falling behind 3-0, Aileen Galicia and Emma Smith both scored late but the Aggies were unable to come up with an equalizer.
 
Abilene Christian enters the 2019 season fresh off its first NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Southland Conference Tournament. ACU dominated the defensive side of the ball, allowing just 13 goals on the season to lead the Southland.  The Wildcats also topped the conference in shutouts with 13.
 
Rachel Johnson anchored Abilene Christian's defense in goal, leading the Southland in save percentage (.907), shutouts (9) and goals against average (.532). She also earned Second-Team All-Southland honors.
 
Junior Christina Arteaga led ACU's attack with 10 goals and four assists for 24 points while being named First-Team All-Southland for the second-straight season. Arteaga was also named Southland Freshman of the Year following the 2017 season.
 
Scouting the Cowgirls
NM State and Wyoming have met three times with the Aggies holding a 2-1 series lead. However, the Cowgirls won the last meeting between the two sides, 4-1, on Sept. 14, 2016, in Las Cruces. Last season, Wyoming split the Mountain West Conference regular season championship with New Mexico and Boise State.
 
The Cowgirls boasted a balanced offensive attack that ranked second in the Mountain West with 83 points. Nine players notched two more or goals with Madison Barrick and Annika Clayton led the way for Wyoming with four goals each.
 
Wyoming returns goalkeeper Hannah Lee who split time with Cristina Salazar last season. Lee wrapped up 2018 with a 7-2-2 record, a .940 goals-against average and a .814 save percentage in 15 appearances for the Cowgirls. The sophomore's .940 goals-against average ranked third in the conference.
 
Up Next
The Aggies hit the road for the first time this season as they travel to Boise to take on Boise State at 12 p.m. (MT) on Friday, Aug. 30, and Idaho State in a neutral-site match on Sunday, Sept. 1, at 11 a.m.