LEADING OFF 

The Mavericks opened the 2023 season with a 4-0 victory over the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. Three second-half goals and a shutout from Emma Konsmo led the Mavericks to a home win on Thursday night. Omaha is back at Caniglia Field on Sunday, Aug. 20 to take on the Trailblazers of Utah Tech. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. 

QUICK KICKS 

• Omaha defeated Southern Utah 4-0 in the 2023 season opener. Cece Behrens, Emilie Erland, Sophia Green, and Alyssa Kellar were the Maverick goal scorer
• Senior Grace Crockett tallied a career-high two assists for two points in the win.
• Sophia Green and Alyssa Kellar lead the Mavericks in points, picking up a goal and an assist each against the Thunderbirds on Thursday. 
• Sophomore goalkeeper Emma Konsmo played the full 90 minutes, recording three saves in her first shutout of the year. 
• The Omaha women's soccer team was tabbed third in the Summit League Preseason Poll after finishing third in the regular season last year. 
• Grace Ostergaard and Regan Zimmers were named Players to Watch by the Summit League earlier this week. 
• For Ostergaard, it is her second Player to Watch nomination after earning her third-straight All-League second team award for her efforts in 2022. 
• For Zimmers, it is her first time on the Summit League's Players to Watch list. Regan was recently named to the United Soccer Coaches' Defenders to Watch list for the upcoming season. 
• Head coach Tim Walters enters his seventh season at the helm. He has recorded 43 wins on the pitch, including three Summit League semifinal wins, one Summit League championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. 
• The goalkeeping duo of senior Mia Reedtz and sophomore Emma Konsmo combined for eight team-shutouts last season. Reedtz started 12 matches last season between the pipes with a save percentage of 72% and a goals against average of 1.25. Konsmo started 10 matches in net with a save percentage of 76.5% and an average of 1.54 goals against. 
• Five newcomers join the Mavericks this season, including four freshmen and one redshirt-sophomore transfer. 

SCOUTING THE UTAH TECH TRAILBLAZERS 

The Trailblazers of Utah Tech went to South Dakota to open their season and came out with a 3-1 victory over the Coyotes. Utah Tech brought on 10 newcomers over the offseason, as well as a new head coach in Lexi Brown. Brown earned her first victory as a head coach over South Dakota last Thursday, after spending five seasons as an assistant coach at Gonzaga. 

TRAILBLAZERS TO WATCH 

• Senior forward Brynlee Rider scored twice for Utah Tech in the season opener. Rider has eight goals and three assists in her career with the Trailblazers. 
• Karli Heaton led the Trailblazers last year with five goals and 12 points. Heaton was a second team All-WAC selection a season ago and was named to the WAC All-Preseason team ahead of this year. 
• Sophomore Brianna Frey played 90 minutes in net for Utah Tech, earning the win over South Dakota. Frey made two saves on three attempts in the second start of her career. 

SERIES HISTORY 
This is the first meeting between Omaha and Utah Tech.