(GAME NOTES - PDF)

After enjoying a week off from NCAA competition following its season-opening four-game California road trip, Dixie State's women's soccer team will officially open its 2015 home slate with a pair of PacWest Conference games at Hansen Stadium during DSU's Homecoming Week. The Storm (2-2-0/0-0-0 PacWest) will open the week with #18 Azusa Pacific (4-0-0/0-0-0 PacWest) on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 4:30 p.m., followed by key conference match-up against preseason PacWest pick Point Loma on Homecoming Saturday at 10 a.m. Live stats information for both matches can be found at www.dixieathletics.com

DIXIE STATE VS. THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: Dixie State enters its match Thursday against APU in search of win No. 1 vs. the Cougars as Azusa Pacific has won each of the previous four meetings, including a 2-0 triumph last season in Azusa, Calif. DSU is 2-1-0 in three previous meetings with Point Loma on the pitch, though the Sea Lions broke through in the win column last season with a 2-0 result in San Diego.

COACHING STAFF: Head coach Kacey Bingham (Arizona State, 2006) is in her third season on the Red Storm bench. Bingham has compiled a 19-16-3 overall record, including a 15-8-1 mark in Pacific West Conference play. Bingham is joined on the sideline by third-year assistant coach Rielee Reed, and first year assistants Emily Fox (Lehi, UT/Lehi), former DSU men's soccer coach Danny Ortiz, and Nyle Ortiz.

STORM PICKED FIFTH IN PACWEST: Dixie State was selected to finish fifth in the PacWest Conference for the second consecutive year. Point Loma received 11 first-place votes to top the poll, followed by California Baptist, Azusa Pacific and Hawai'i Pacific. Fresno Pacific and Concordia came in below the Storm to round out the top half of the poll. The Storm finished the 2014 season on a three-game winning streak to end with a 10-7-1 overall record and an 8-4 mark in the PacWest.

DIXIE STATE BLANKS RSL WOMEN IN EXHIBITION FRIENDLY: Dixie State's men's and women's soccer team hosted the Southern Utah Soccer Showcase last Saturday at Hansen Stadium. As part of the two-match showcase, the DSU women played the Real Salt Lake Women's semi-pro team in an exhibition friendly, a match that the Storm coasted to a 4-0 victory. DSU senior forward Jasmine Arollo (Glendale, Ariz./Apollo HS) had a match to remember as she recorded a hat trick and assisted on the Red Storm goal, which was the first goal of the match scored by junior MF Aubri Detmer (Austin, Texas/Lake Travis HS). DSU outshot RSL 28-6, including a 17-2 edge on goal. DSU keepers Stacie Gubler (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde HS) and Danica Nusink (Springville, Utah/Springville HS) each registered one save in posting the shutout.

QUICK KICKS: The Storm improved to 5-2-3 all-time in season-opening matches in the program's D-II era with its 2-0 win at Antelope Valley ... the victory snapped a three-match streak that saw the Storm come away with a draw to open the season ... Dixie's 1-0 win at Cal State San Bernardino also marked the first time since the program's NCAA Division II debut season in 2006 that the Storm opened the year with consecutive shutout victories ... DSU ran its season-opening defensive scoreless streak to just over 275 minutes before Humboldt State broke a scoreless tie with an overtime sudden-victory goal at the 95:16 mark of that match ... sophomore netminder Danica Nusink (Springville, Utah/Springville HS) has seen the bulk of the playing time in goal through the first four matches, having made 12 stops while posting a 1.31 GAA in just over 275 minutes of play ... senior keeper Stacie Gubler (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde HS) has been a solid complement, having appeared in two matches thus far and has not been scored upon in 90 minutes of game action to go with five saves ... senior forward Jasmine Arollo (Glendale, Ariz./Apollo HS) has had her boot on three of DSU's five goals on the season ... Arollo assisted on the Storm's game-winning tally in the opener at UAV, and she assisted on DSU's first goal at Chico State before scoring her first goal of the year later in that match ... DSU covered a lot of real estate on its four-game California road swing, which saw stops in Corona, Lancaster, La Jolla, San Bernardino, Santa Rosa, Eureka, Chico and Fresno before the team finally rolled back into St. George ... in all the Storm traveled an estimated 2,480 miles over that one-week stretch.

UP NEXT: Dixie State heads back out on the road to California for a pair of PacWest matches in the Bay Area, beginning with a showdown at Dominican University on Friday, Oct. 2 at 4 p.m. (PT), in San Rafael. The Storm will then close the trip on Sunday, Oct. 4, with a match at Holy Names at 11 a.m. (PT), in Oakland.