JUST THE FACTS...
• Milwaukee claimed its school-record sixth-straight berth to the NCAA Tournament last season with a thrilling 4-3 win over Oakland in the Horizon League Tournament Championship.

• DePaul is ranked 25th in the nation in the latest Soccer America poll and is also receiving votes in the NSCAA poll this week.

• Both of Milwaukee's weekend opponents have been very stingy on defense so far this season. DePaul has conceded just four goals this year, while BC has allowed just five.

• Boston College was a one of the NCAA Tournament surprises last season, running all the way to the elite eight before falling to eventual national runner-up Florida State.

• Milwaukee has a career 153-64-17 record at Engelmann Stadium after a 6-3 mark at home last season.

• Milwaukee is 16-12-2 all time in home openers at Engelmann Stadium

What's New?
Milwaukee is coming off its first big road trip of the season after going 1-1 and tying for second place at the Garnet and Black Classic in Columbia, S.C. The Panthers grabbed their first win of the year in a 4-2 pounding of the College of Charleston before an unlucky 2-0 defeat by the 12th-ranked team in the nation and host South Carolina.

Early Indicators
Milwaukee had two exhibition matches on its schedule this season and, if those results are any indication of how the season will go, it's going to be a good year for the Panthers.

In its opener with Drake, UWM claimed a 2-1, come-from-behind win. A total of 24 players saw the field and both goals were scored by freshmen, with three newcomers tallying points in their first-ever time wearing the Black and Gold.

Then, in its annual matchup with the alumni, the current Panther squad put on a show with a 9-0 victory. Five different players scored in the lop-sided affair, including a hat trick from senior Vienna Behnke.

About Boston College
Fresh off a season that was capped by an incredible run in the NCAA Tournament, the Eagles have high hopes for the 2014 campaign. Boston College bulldozed through its first three opponents in the postseason before falling to eventual national-runner up Florida State in the Elite Eight.

This season, BC enters Friday's game 4-1 overall and have allowed just three goals on the year. The Eagles have been bitten hard by the injury bug this year, though, as junior McKenzie Meehan - who was named to the preseason Hermann Trophy Watch List - and Casey Morrison are both reportedly out the whole year.

Despite losing two of their key returners, the cupboard is far from bare for Boston College. Hayley Dowd leads the team with three goal, including the game-winner earlier this week. Six other players have at least one goal for the Eagles this season.

About DePaul
The Blue Demons are one of the hottest teams in the nation right now, coming to Milwaukee with a 5-0 record and a 3-1 win over Illinois State, a mid-major favorite to do damage in this year's NCAA Tournament.

Abby Reed leads the team with five goals, despite missing Wednesday's game at Illinois State. Elise Wyatt scored a pair in Wednesday's comeback win and now has three on the season.

DPU also boasts a strong backline with a solid keeper in net. Alejandria Godinez has an impressive 0.67 goals-against average saving 80% of the shots she faces.

Series Notes
Milwaukee has squared off against the Eagles of Boston College twice in its 31 year program history, dropping both contests. The two teams last met back in 2007 when BC edged UWM 1-0. Boston College also came to Engelmann Stadium once before, claiming a 4-1 victory in 2004.

The Panthers and Blue Demons squared off just last year, with DePaul netting a goal just before halftime to win 1-0. Milwaukee is 3-2 all-time against their foes from Chicago, last winning in 2011 1-0 at Engelmann.

Back In Black (& Gold)
The Panthers return eight of their starters from last year's roster and appear to be ready for another successful year on the field. Eight seniors headline the squad this season, including last year's Horizon League Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Tournament MVP Kelly Lewers. All-league first-teamers Krissy Dorre and Kelsey Holbert join Lewers on the attack, while second-teamer Amy Kauffung and all-freshman honorees Paige Lincicum and Kelly Manski also return for the Black and Gold this season.

Engelmann Elite
Milwaukee has always had a rich tradition of large home crowds and last season was certainly no different. Despite only having nine home games on their schedule last year, that didn't stopped the fans from coming out and packing Engelmann Stadium. 4,794 fans went through the turnstiles for Panther home games last year for an average of 533 per game, the second-highest average in program history. Last year also marked the fourth-highest fan turnout in a single season, with two of the highest attended games in program history, as well (Aug. 30 vs. Indiana, second-highest; Sept. 23 vs. Marquette, fifth-highest).

Champions!
For the 14th-straight year, Milwaukee was crowned league regular season champions. That streak is now the longest active and the second-longest in NCAA Division I history, behind only Penn State's 15-straight Big Ten titles all-time, a streak that came to an end just last year.

So Far, So Great
In just his third year at the helm of the program, head coach Greg Henschel has already twice guided the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament. He now is the only coach in the department's Division I history to guide its team to the NCAA Tournament in both of his first two seasons. Previously, he was one of three coaches to achieve that feat in just his first year, joining former women's soccer coach Michael Moynihan (1997) and current men's basketball coach Rob Jeter (2006) before Henschel again reached the NCAAs again last season.

What They're Saying
A look around the college soccer preseason polls shows there are plenty of expectations on this year's Panther squad. "College Sports Madness" announced its Preseason All-Horizon League teams with Milwaukee topping every group. Kelly Lewers, Krissy Dorre, Kelsey Holbert and Amy Kauffung were also first-team selections. Head coach Greg Henschel was tabbed as coach of the year, while newcomer Aubrey Krahn was selected as freshman of the year and Lewers was picked to repeat her offensive player of the year status.

All White Kit also selected UWM as its Horizon League favorite, saying it should be business as usual for the Panthers this season and adding "the Panthers should still walk away with more silverware in 2014."

Panthers Picked First In Preseason Poll
For the 14th time in the last 15 years, Milwaukee checked into the preseason coaches' poll at the top of the table. The Panthers received six of the nine first-place votes and collected 62 points overall. Oakland gathered two first-place votes and was picked second (51 points), while Wright State garnered one first-place nod and was picked third (50 points). Last year marked the first time in recent history that Milwaukee came in anywhere other than the top of the preseason poll, being picked third. That season, UWM went on to win its 14th-straight regular-season league title and sixth-straight league tournament crown.

The Mighty 300
Both the Milwaukee women's soccer team and its head coach Greg Henschel notched milestone wins over the course of last year's busy season. With a 2-1 win over Illinois State midway through last year, Henschel reached the 300th win in his coaching history. Then, the Panther team logged its 300th win in program history with a 2-0 blanking of Green Bay in late October to give UWM its second milestone moment just six games apart.

Fresh Faces
Nine true freshmen join the collegiate ranks this year on the Milwaukee roster. Cassidy Blanchard, Erin Corrigan, Jen Eberhardy, Aubrey Krahn, Emily Senger, Sydney Senn, Anna Smalley, Maddie Tetzke and Olivia Wright all are set for their first season with UWM after dominating at the high school level. Plus, two more Panthers are set for action after sitting out last year. Anny West redshirted last year and had four years left on the Eastside, while Ashley Burkhardt will be a sophomore after sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Catch All The Action And More
For the fourth-straight season, all the Panther home games will be webcast live and free on the Horizon League Network. In fact, beginning with the team's home opener against Boston College, every game from Engelmann Stadium will be featured on HLN.

In addition to live events, features, highlights and interviews are available at the Black & Gold Network - the department's official YouTube channel. Be sure to check in with BGN for the latest news and action surrounding Milwaukee women's soccer.

Milwaukee also at least one matchup that can be seen live on television as Time Warner Cable SportsChannel will broadcast the Panthers' in-state rivalry with Marquette (Sept. 11).

Up Next
It's back to the road for the Panthers next week, traveling both near and far. Milwaukee will head just across town to take on Big East foe Marquette in a 7 p.m. Thursday night contest that will also air on Time Warner Cable 32. UWM then heads to Auburn, Ala. to take on the Tigers in a noon contest on Sunday.