INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI women's soccer team will open the 2019 regular season this week when the Jaguars play a pair of matches, both within the Circle City. The Jags will host Toledo on Thursday night (Aug. 22) at 7:00 p.m. at the on-campus Michael A. Carroll Stadium before then taking on Butler on the road on Sunday night (Aug. 25) at 7:00 p.m.. 

Thursday's home opener will be FREE of charge.

MATCH INFO 

• The matches will open the Jaguars' 2019 regular season on the heels of one exhibition match. 
• IUPUI won last year's season opener over Marian, 2-0 at Carroll Stadium. 

THE SERIES

• IUPUI is 0-2 all-time against Toledo, having dropped a meeting at Toledo last season, 2-0. Thursday's match marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools in Indianapolis.  
• IUPUI is 3-12-1 all-time against Butler and has dropped five straight in the series, dating back to 2013. IUPUI is 1-8 in the nine meetings inside Butler's Sellick Bowl.  

JAG SCRATCHES

• IUPUI went 6-10-3 last season with a 3-5-1 mark in Horizon League play.
• IUPUI lost its lone exhibition match last week at SIUE, 4-0
• The Jaguars were recently picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League preseason polls
• The Jags return their top four scorers from a season ago in Elizabeth Bueckers (14 pts), Miranda Ricks (11), Valentine Pursey (10) and Emma Chambers (8).
• Senior goalkeeper Sophia Lipka was the 2017 Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year and is on pace to break the program's all-time record in shutouts. 
• IUPUI returns 10 of 11 starters from last season, including the quintet of Lipka, Pursey, Chambers, Natalie McNally and Jenna Sterr, who started all 19 matches a season ago. 
• Head coach Chris Johnson, the program's all-time leader in wins (114), enters his 17th season on the Jaguars' sidelines and has taken IUPUI to two NCAA Tournaments (2009 & 2017)

SCOUTING TOLEDO

• Toledo went 8-9-2 a season ago and 4-6-1 in Mid-American Conference play.
• Junior forward Sophia Lewis (4 goals, 7 assists) is the Rockets' top returning scorer, followed by redshirt junior Alex Troy (3 goals). 
• Redshirt junior Madison Perrin returns in goal for Toledo, having started 17 matches last season with a 7-8-2 record and 1.20 goals against average.
• T.J. Buchholz is in his fifth season on the Toledo sidelines. 

SCOUTING BUTLER

• Butler went 13-6-1 last season and was upended by Georgetown in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Bulldogs were recently picked to finish second in the BIG EAST preseason polls. 
• Sophomore forward Anja Savich is Butler's top returning scorer, having totaled seven goals and three assists last season. Butler also returns All-Region back Annika Schmidt. 
• Redshirt junior Madison Perrin returns in goal for Toledo, having started 17 matches last season with a 7-8-2 record and 1.20 goals against average.
• The Bulldogs are coached by the co-head coach duo of Tari St. John and Rob Alman. The duo was named the 2017 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year and they led Butler to a BIG EAST regular season and tournament runner-up finish in 2018. 

UP NEXT

• IUPUI will host Western Illinois on Friday, Aug. 30 at Carroll Stadium at 7pm on ESPN+ and will then cap the week at Southern Illinois on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 2:00 p.m..