Women's Soccer | 9/6/2016 3:53:00 PM

SATURDAY: vs. Fraser Valley (0-1-0), noon, U of R Field.
SUNDAY: vs. Trinity Western (1-0-0), noon, U of R Field.

The University of Regina women's soccer team is set to open its 2016 Canada West season at home this weekend, as the Cougars will play host to the University of the Fraser Valley and Trinity Western University.

Regina will battle the UFV Cascades on Saturday afternoon at the U of R Field before squaring off against the TWU Spartans on Sunday at noon.

The Cougars posted a 1-2-1 record in pre-season action, highlighted by a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Wesmen at Leibel Field on Aug. 19. Shayla Kapila and Brianna Wright were able to score for Regina while Ashton Lowry earned the win in net.

Other exhibition matches included a 0-0 draw with NAIT, a 2-0 loss to MacEwan and a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Alberta Pandas.

"We've been encouraged by what we saw in the pre-season, our style of play and movement quality have been exceptional and will only get better," head coach Bob Maltman said. "The speed of our execution has led to a more attack-oriented group and we've been able to apply pressure with a more compact and versatile team."

Regina returns the majority of last season's roster, and boasts a strong midfield led by Kayla McDonald, Karlee Vorrieter and Daniela Castro (pictured). Goalkeeper Kacey McFee returns for her fifth and final year with the program, while third-year keeper Lowry will also look to make an impact between the pipes.

"If we're able to link our play from the back all the way to the front and play together as a team, we'll put ourselves in a good spot," said Castro. "Our team is a lot more confident as a whole and our younger players are coming into the season with more experience – we feel good about our chances this weekend."

UFV had a 3-1-1 record in pre-season matches while Trinity Western went 3-0-2 in exhibition play. The Cascades and Spartans matched up for their Canada West season opener on Sept. 2 in Abbotsford, where TWU earned a 2-1 victory.