GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- The Green Bay women's soccer team is set to officially kick off the 2019 campaign on Friday at Valparaiso prior to visiting Chicago State on Sunday.

Head coach Jason Spain will lead the Phoenix in his first official matchup as the head coach of the program, looking to get the most from his roster of 32. Among the 32 team members are 21 newcomers and 11 returners to the program.

Sophomore McKayla Kertscher is among the returners and looks to improve on a strong true freshman campaign which landed her on the All-Horizon League Second Team. Kertscher led the Phoenix in points last season, netting three goals and a trio of assists for a total of nine.

Seniors Kayla Minor and Payton Benzshawel also return to the roster as goal scorers from a season ago.

Game Information: Friday at Valparaiso - 7:30 p.m. // Sunday at Chicago State - 1 p.m.

Most Recently for the Phoenix: Green Bay recently completed a two-game exhibition season, where the Phoenix hosted Viterbo (W, 1-0) and Loyola (L, 4-0) to prepare for the regular season.

Scouting the Crusaders: Valpo dropped a pair of exhibition matches during the preseason, falling 1-0 at Miami (Ohio) and 4-0 at Western Michigan. Last season, the Crusaders went 5-8-3 on the year combined with a 2-4-1 mark in conference action.

Scouting the Cougars: Chicago State went winless in the 2018 regular season, turning in an overall record of 0-16-1. The Cougars have taken the pitch twice this season in exhibitions with Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa.

Series Synopsis: Valpo leads the series with a 10-8-3 record against the Phoenix. GB claimed the first eight pairings from 1993 through 2001, but the Crusaders are unbeaten in the last 13. Last season, in their first non-conference matchup since 2001, Valpo earned a 2-1 victory at Aldo Santaga Stadium. The Phoenix is undefeated against Chicago State, boasting an all-time record of 3-0 against the Cougars.

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