THIS WEEK…
USC (15-3-2 in 2017) at UC Davis (4-12-2 in 2017)
Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018 | 4:00 p.m. | Davis, Calif. | Aggie Soccer Field
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OPENING WHISTLE: Following a week of training, the UC Davis women's soccer program finally gets to run with a team wearing different colors this weekend as the Aggies open the 2018 campaign with an exhibition against 2016 NCAA Champion USC on Saturday (Aug. 11) at 4 p.m. at Aggie Soccer Field.

IN THE POLLS: After finishing the 2017 season ranked No. 13 in the nation, USC enters this year's campaign at No. 12 according to United Soccer Coaches — one of three opponents for the Aggies among the top 25 or receiving votes along with No. 1 Stanford and California in that poll — while standing at No. 11 in the Top Drawer Soccer preseason poll… UC Davis was unranked.

BE A FOLLOWER: Fans can keep up with the latest in UC Davis women's soccer by "liking" them on Facebook (/UCDavisWomensSoccer) and following them on both Twitter (@UCDavisWSOC) and Instagram (@UCDavisWSOC). You can also follow Head Coach Twila Kaufman on Twitter (@twilakaufman) and Instagram (@TwilaKaufman).

ABOUT THE TROJANS: Picked to finish third in the Pac-12 according to the coaches' preseason poll, USC advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season in 2017, falling to Baylor on penalties in the second round to cap off a season that saw the Trojans finish 15-3-2 overall and 8-2-1 in Pac-12 play… USC returns 17 players from last year's squad while bringing in the second-ranked recruiting class in the country highlighted by a pair of transfers from Notre Dame and one each from North Carolina and Florida… Senior Leah Pruitt leads the returners on offense after finishing with six goals and four assists in 2017, ending the year second on the team with 16 points… A Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection a season ago, sophomore Kaylie Collins is the incumbent in net after appearing in 19 matches, posting a 0.87 goals against average, 53 saves, and seven shutouts in nearly 1,763 minutes.

SERIES RECORDS: Although Saturday's meeting will not count toward official season records, the Aggies and USC have met only once before, kicking off last season in Los Angeles with the Trojans emerging with a 2-1 victory… Then-senior Mandy McKeegan netted her first career goal in the 57th minute of the match to bring UC Davis to within a goal in the second half.

ABOUT THE AGS: UC Davis returns 17 letter winners and nine starters off of last season's squad that finished 4-12-2 overall, but finished 3-3-2 in the rugged Big West Conference to finish just out of a spot in the league tournament… Sophomore forward Mahlah Catline (undeclared) leads the returners on offense after scoring a team-high four goals in her Division I debut… Junior communication major Mckenna Moriarty (two goals) and junior managerial economics major Olivia Jones (one goal) also scored last season… Now in her fourth year as a starter in net, senior goalkeeper Alexis Smith (materials science and engineering) returns after earning All-Big West second team honors as a junior, ending the year with a 1.20 goals against average, 84 saves, and three shutouts.

STRAIGHT FROM THE COACH'S MOUTH: Head Coach Twila Kaufman, now in her fifth season at the helm of the program, gave her thoughts on the opening week of practice and how her team is shaping up heading into Saturday's exhibition against USC…

What are your initial impressions of the squad after the first week of practice?
"I've been really excited. It's been a fun, enjoyable camp and, part of that, is because the majority of our team did the work that they needed to do over the summer to be ready. We've lost some significant players off of last year's team, but the majority of team has come back, we're one year older, and it's just making a big difference."

Have there been any surprises thus far?
"Our freshmen are killing it. They showed up ready. They're very strong and our team is very excited to have them. This is the first time in a long time that we've had more upperclassmen. I still think we're bottom heavy in terms of numbers, but we have more returners than new people so it's been great just to watch what happens when you have only a few people integrating into a new environment."

Has anyone grabbed the reins and stood out in the first week?
"I think different people have stepped up in different moments and that's been really encouraging to see in a lot of different ways, but this is a very strong, cohesive, team unit, and I think we're all on the same page right now. There hasn't had to be a lot of somebody taking the reins. It's been a group effort."

With so many injuries last season, does it feel like you have a new team out there?
"Even though we've added only a few players, it feels like a brand new team because we missed time from so many players last year who were significant pieces to the puzzle. There were a number of players who competed in so few games that are finally here with us and have trained all spring that it feels like a completely different team."

What are you looking for out of your first competition against another team?
"I think it's a really good opportunity for us to be tested against somebody other than us. We know what we're trying to do and, sometimes, in practice, if you're being competitive, one team will 'cheat' because they know what's coming. I'm curious to see how we stack up against a worthy opponent. Last year (when we played USC), we were a really young team playing against the previous year's national champion and we're excited to just play this year. I think that made us a little nervous and, now, we're just looking forward to playing, not worrying about WHO we're playing, and that's a really big difference."

What do you hope fans say about this year's Aggie team?
"I hope that they enjoy watching us play. I hope that they see our team concepts. I hope that they see the fight that this team has and the self-belief that this team has. I hope they walk away feeling included. This is the team for UC Davis and the city of Davis. We are here for them."

AGGIE TWITTER NOTES
• UC Davis opens the year by facing the last two NCAA National Champions in USC (2016) and Stanford (2017) in back-to-back matches, and will open the regular season against the defending national champion for the second straight year
• Five of this year's Aggie opponents advanced to the NCAA Tournament while nine more finished in the top 100 of the final 2017 RPI
• Seven of UC Davis' first eight contests will be played at Aggie Soccer Field — with the lone outlier a 20-mile jaunt across the Causeway to take on Sacramento State
• When UC Davis hosts Stanford in the regular season opener on Aug. 17, the Cardinal will visit Davis for the first time since 1990
• UC Davis was picked fifth (including a first-place vote) in the Big West preseason coaches poll — the highest such prediction in the program's history as the Aggies have never been picked higher than seventh prior to 2018
• Senior materials science and engineering major Alexis Smith was one of 11 players named to the Big West preseason all-conference team — only the third Aggie to earn the honor along with Mary Beth Mazurek (2012) and Ashley Edwards (2013)

ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 6-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.