The No. 10 Snow College women's soccer team is set to open Scenic West Athletic Conference play at home this Saturday by hosting Utah State University Eastern. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Snow College Soccer Complex in Ephraim, Utah.

The Badgers are coming off a road trip to Arizona, where they earned a 4-0 win over Cochise College before falling 0-3 to No. 2 Arizona Western College. In the win over Cochise Saige Meryhew scored twice, while Brenna Arauzo added the other two goals. Anna Monson stood out as she recorded three assists in the match.

Meryhew is currently ranked 15th nationally in goals scored this season. Through just three games, she has netted four goals. In 2023 she was one of the team's offensive leaders, finishing with 11 goals and seven assists. Her standout performance earned her a spot on the All-Region 18 First Team.

Last season the Badgers had an impressive run in SWAC play. They finished the regular season with a 15-2-2 overall record and went 11-1-2 in conference play. Snow entered the Region 18 Tournament as the No. 2 seed and advanced to the championship match, where they fell to the Salt Lake Community College Bruins.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Both teams enter Saturday's SWAC opener with identical 2-1-0 records, setting the stage for a competitive matchup in Ephraim. USUE opened its season with a 3-0 win over USC Lancaster – an opponent Snow College also faced earlier this year and beat 3-0. The Eagles then fell 4-0 to Eastern Arizona College before bouncing back with a 2-1 victory over Central Wyoming College.

Last season, the Badgers and Eagles met twice. Snow earned a 4-2 win in their first matchup in September, followed by a 2-2 draw in October. Snow College owns a 18-2-5 all-time record against USUE. The Badgers have won the last eight meetings and are unbeaten at home in the matchup, posting a 7-0-3 record in Ephraim.

LAST TIME OUT: The No. 10 Snow College women's soccer team traveled to Yuma, Arizona, for a pair of matches, earning a 4-0 victory over Cochise College Friday before falling 3-0 to No. 2 Arizona Western College Saturday. 

Against Cochise, the Badgers opened scoring in the 14th minute when Saige Meryhew finished a pass from Mirabel Shellabarger to make it 1-0. Snow College doubled the lead when Meryhew scored again in the 39th minute, assisted by Anna Monson, giving the Badgers a 2-0 halftime advantage.

Snow College added two more goals after the break. Brenna Arauzo scored in the 62nd minute, and Arauzo followed in the 71st minute—both assisted by Monson, who finished with three assists overall. The Badgers outshot Cochise 12-5 and controlled the tempo for much of the contest.

The following day, AWC struck early with goals in the 3rd, 7th, and 13th minutes, building a 3-0 lead. Snow College generated four shots but couldn't break through the Matadors' defense. Sophomore goalkeeper Daisy Williams made nine saves on 12 shots faced, and the Badgers kept AWC scoreless the rest of the way but couldn't close the gap, suffering the 3-0 loss.

UP NEXT: The Badgers will continue their home stand Thursday, Sept. 11, hosting Colorado Northwestern Community College at 1:00 p.m. at the Snow Soccer Complex in Ephraim. They'll then face No. 4 Salt Lake Community College Saturday, Sept. 13, also at 1:00 p.m. The Bruins hold a current record of 2-0-1, and begin their SWAC play Saturday against the Spartans, who hold a current record of 2-1-0. For live stats and video streaming, visit snowbadgers.com.