MISSOULA, Mont. – The Drake University women's soccer team opens the 2018 regular season at the Montana Cup in Missoula, Mont. this week. The Bulldogs will not face the tournament host, the Montana Grizzlies, but instead will play two neutral site matches. First for Drake will be its first-ever match against San Francisco on Friday at 3:30 p.m. CST before the Bulldogs end their trip Sunday against Fresno State at 11 a.m. Live stats and a live video link are available for each of the matches.
 
Drake, which was picked fourth in the 2018 MVC Preseason Coaches Poll, returns 17 letterwinners and five starters from last season's team that won the program's sixth MVC regular season championship. Two of those starters returning are senior Alyssa Brand (Skokie, Ill.) and sophomore Hannah Bormann (Amana, Iowa). Brand is a three-time All-MVC selection and Bormann was the 2017 MVC Freshman of the Year. The duo is on the preseason all-conference team.
 
Drake will play its first-ever matches in the state of Montana when it squares off against San Francisco. The two programs have never faced each other. The Dons finished with a 7-10-2 overall record in 2017 and were selected sixth in the West Coast Conference preseason poll.
 
Drake and Fresno State will play each other for just the second time on Sunday. The Drake Bulldogs edged the Fresno State Bulldogs by a score of 2-1 during the 2014 season. Fresno State was tabbed to finish sixth in the Mountain West Conference preseason poll.
 
Following its two games this week, Drake visits Kansas State on Aug. 23. First kick with the Wildcats is set for 7 p.m.