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This Week:
No. 6 Metro State will host Adams State and Nebraska-Kearney this weekend as it wraps up a three-game homestand. The Roadrunners will open the season with 10 of their first 12 games at home after this weekend, but will then hit the road for six out of seven on the away from Auraria Field.

Scouting the Opponent:
Adams State: The Grizzlies enter Friday with an overall record of 3-7-0, including 1-5-0 in the RMAC. They are on a three-game losing streak with a 9-2 loss to Regis, a 3-1 loss at Fort Lewis and a 2-1 loss at home against Regis. Ashley Sales is the leading scorer with four goals and one assist. Jessica Hellweg also has three goals, while Kaylee Smith and Kenzie Favero each have two. Ashley Grover leads the team with two assists. Kirsten Dorsey has played every minute in goal, recording a 2.90 GAA and .642 save percentage. For the season, ASC has been outscored 29-11 and outshot 176-122.

Nebraska-Kearney: The Lopers enter the weekend with a 1-8-1 overall record, including 0-5-1 in the RMAC. They are winless since their season-opening 2-1 victory against Wayne State and have lost four straight. However, their defense has been solid, allowing more than one goals just three times. Morgan Abert leads UNK with two goals. Alicia Crawford, Maggie McClure, Jessica Schnoke and Shayla Frost each have one goal. Marissa Niday has seen the most action in goal, posting a 1-7-1 record and a 1.33 GAA and .831 save percentage. UNK has been outscored 15-7 and outshot 196-63 this season. This is UNK's first year of women's soccer in the history of the school.

All-Time Series Records:
Adams State: Metro State has won all 12 meetings between the two schools. In the past four games, Metro State has outscored the Grizzlies 33-2, including an 8-0 win at home last fall.

Nebraska-Kearney: This is the first-ever women's soccer team at UNK.

Roadrunners Update:
Metro State has continued to roll, stretching its winning streak to seven games after defeating UC-Colorado Springs 5-1 on Friday and Colorado State-Pueblo 4-1 on Sunday. Against UCCS, Becca Mays (San Antonio, Texas/Madison H.S.) recorded her second hat trick of the season, while Jen Thomas (Aurora, Colo./Greeley West H.S.) and Ashley Nemmers (Arvada, Colo./Arvada West H.S.) added the other two goals. Becca Maloney (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) played the first 77 minutes in goal and held the Mountain Lions scoreless on four shots on goal.

On Sunday, Thomas, Mays, Nemmers and Michael' Ann Karas (Arvada, Colo./Faith Christian H.S.) each had single goals. Maloney played all 90 minutes and made four saves.

Mays leads the RMAC in goals and points with 10 goals and one assist for 21 points this season. Courtney Ryan (Chula Vista, Calif./Coronado H.S.) is second in the RMAC in assists in conference games and has seven overall this season. Jen Thomas (Aurora, Colo./Greeley West H.S.) is also among the leaders in points and goals with seven goals and two assists for 16 points. Aleah DeGeneres (Littleton, Colo./Chatfield H.S.) has provided a spark off the bench and is third on the team in scoring with four goals and two assists. Becca Maloney (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) has been solid in goal posting a 0.78 GAA and .837 save percentage in 10 games.

On a Roll to Start the Year:
Metro State's 9-1-0 start to the season is among its best all-time and its best since opening 2006 with 12 straight wins. The Roadrunners opened 2007 with a 8-2-1 record and began last fall 10-1-2 before tying Colorado Mines on Oct. 17. Metro State's best start ever was in 2005 with 23 consecutive wins to open the season before tying Seattle Pacific and falling in a shootout in the NCAA Tournament.

Best Starts in School History:
Thru 10 games Consecutive Wins to Start Season
1. 2005 10-0-0 23
2. 2006 10-0-0 12
4. 2003 9-0-1 9
5. 1998 9-0-1 8
6. 1994 9-1-0 9
7. 2004 9-1-0 2
2002 9-1-0 2
2009 9-1-0 2

Season Opener Success:
The Roadrunners have now won eight of their past nine season openers after defeating Nebraska-Omaha 3-1 on Aug. 28. A loss to Minnesota State, Mankato in last year's season opener spoiled a school record seven-game winning streak. The second-longest streak is three (1997-99).

Against the Best:
Metro State fell 2-1 to No. 15 Minnesota State, Mankato on Sept. 4. The Roadrunners bounced back with a 6-1 win over No. 20 Colorado Mines on Friday, Sept. 11, and then defeated No. 11 Fort Lewis 3-2 in double overtime on Sept. 18.

Metro State posted a 4-2-0 record against ranked teams in 2008. However, MSU, Mankato was one of the two losses, a 3-2 loss in overtime on the road for the Roadrunners. Their other loss came 3-1 to No. 4 and eventual national champion Seattle Pacific in the NCAA semifinals. In between the two losses, Metro State defeated No. 19 Winona State 2-1 in overtime on the road, No. 22 Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 4-0 at home, No. 16 MSU, Mankato 1-0 at home in the NCAA regional tournament and No. 8 Wisconsin-Parkside 1-0 in the NCAA quarterfinals.

RMAC Players of the Week:
Becca Mays (San Antonio, Texas/Madison H.S.) earned RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15 after she recorded her second career hat trick on Friday in a 6-1 win over No. 20 Colorado Mines. Her three goals were the first three goals of the game. She also had two shot attempts in Metro State's 1-0 win at Colorado State-Pueblo on Sunday.

Becca Maloney (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) was named RMAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15. She allowed just one goal in two wins over the weekend, while making 10 saves. On Friday, she stopped a season-high seven shots in the 6-1 win over Colorado Mines. On Sunday, she made three saves for her 17th career shutout against CSU-Pueblo. Included was a save in the final minute of the game on Sunday to preserve the 1-0 victory.

Aleah DeGeneres (Littleton, Colo./Chatfield H.S.) was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 22. She scored two goals in Metro State's 3-2 double overtime win over No. 11 Fort Lewis on Friday. She scored the game-tying goal in the 82nd minute when she chested a loose ball into the net. In the 103rd minute, she punched in Madison McQuilliams (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield H.S.)' cross for the game-winning goal.

Becca Mays (San Antonio, Texas/Madison H.S.) was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week again on Sept. 29 after she scored five goals in three games during the previous week. Her most impressive performance came on Friday as she scored three goals, her second hat trick of the season and third of her career, in a 5-1 win at UC-Colorado Springs on Friday. On Wednesday, she had a goal and an assist in a 5-0 victory against Mesa State and she added another goal on Sunday in a 4-1 win over Colorado State-Pueblo.

Becca Maloney (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) was also named RMAC Defensive Player again on Sept. 29 as she earned the victory in all three games during the previous week, allowing just one goal in 248 minutes. On Wednesday against Mesa State, she made four saves in 81 minutes, before giving way to Alee Seehausen (Mesa, Ariz./Mountain View H.S.), who played the final nine minutes in the net. On Friday at UCCS, Maloney again stopped four shots in 77 scoreless minutes. She wrapped up the week by allowing just one goal and making four saves, while playing the entire game in goal against CSU-Pueblo.

High Expectations:
The Roadrunners opened the season ranked third in the preseason NSCAA top-25 poll. Metro State finished the 2008 season ranked third after opening the season 14th in the preseason poll. In 2007, the Roadrunners opened the year at No. 1 in the nation and stayed there for one week into the season.

After remaining at No. 3 through the first regular season poll, Metro State fell out of the top-25 on Sept. 8, but jumped back in last week at No. 20. This week, the Roadrunners are ranked No. 13.