The University of Regina women's soccer team is set to open its 2015 Canada West schedule this weekend, facing off against the Winnipeg Wesmen on Saturday and the Manitoba Bisons on Sunday. Both games are scheduled for 12 p.m. at the U of R Field.

Leading the Cougars into battle this season are midfielders Celia Michaud and Kayla McDonald. Michaud, who enters her fifth year with the program, will share team captain duties with fourth-year McDonald.

The storyline for the Cougars this season will be how well the team adapts with new players. The Cougars lost nine players from last year and will have 13 new recruits on the roster heading into the 2015 season.

Entering his ninth season at the helm, head coach Bob Maltman boasts a strong recruiting class, including 14 first-year athletes. The 2015 recruiting class includes 12 players from Western Canada and one from overseas, as Tove Werner hails from Linkoping, Sweden.

At the back end of the pitch, returning defender Rachel Taylor will see significant time in slowing down opposing attacks. Joining Taylor on the back line following the departures of Molly Glass and Racquel Marshall, will be Kassidy Boyle, Angela Lalonde, Cassie Longmuir, Brianne Parschauer and Mackenzie Stricker.

Along with Michaud and McDonald, the midfield is where most of the Cougars' experience lies. Daniela Castro and Shayla Kapila have seen plenty of action in the past and certainly will in 2015. Deanna Dartige will return from injury to join former high-school teammate Karlee Vorrieter in the middle, while second-year midfielders Nikita Senko and Brianna Wright will be accompanied by rookies Jet Davies, Chantelle Doell, Taeganne Galger, Olivia Hunt, Meghan Kulczycki, Brigit Sinaga and Werner.

On the offensive end, second-year striker Olivia Bolen is back, alongside first-years Sienne Krynowsky, Alex Ensign and Kirsten Finley.

In goal, Kacey McFee is returning for her fourth year. McFee will serve as veteran leadership for red-shirt freshman Ashton Lowry and rookie Savannah Williams.

The Cougars hosted the Great Plains Challenge in July, and recorded a 1-2-1 non-conference record with a win against Mount Royal, losses against Alberta and Manitoba, and a tie against the Wesmen.