ELSAH, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings women's soccer team will kick off their 2023 season on Friday, September 1 when they hit the road to take on the Principia Panthers before traveling to Chicago, Ill. for a matchup with the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks on Sunday, September 3.

The Vikings are looking to improve on a 9-6-4 season in 2022 that earned them a spot in the CCIW Tournament following a 3-2-3 conference mark. Augie saw majority of their success from last year come at home, posting a 5-2-2 record at Thorson-Lucken Field compared to 4-4-2 on the road. The Vikings enjoyed their fourth consecutive winning season in 2022, both overall and in the CCIW.

Augustana welcomes back a lot of contribution from last year, including First Team All-CCIW forward Liesl Whitener, who led the team in goals and assists a season ago. The senior from Belleville, Ill. averaged 1.50 points per match last fall, fourth-most among CCIW players and second-most among league returners. Janey Castoe returns to the net for Augustana after leading all CCIW keepers with an .838 saves percentage. Lexi Dominiguez and Abby DeGustino are also back for the Vikings and both rank in the top four on the team in both goals and assists among returners.

On Friday, the Vikings will square off against the Panthers of Principia for the first time since 2014. The Panthers posted a 5-11-2 record in 2022 and were 3-5-2 on their home turf. Principia dropped four of their final five contests to close the 2022 season, including a 6-0 loss to Greenville in the SLIAC Tournament. The Panthers have not lost a season-opening game since 2018.

Augie is 2-4 all-time against Principia, but has won the last two meetings, including a 3-0 win in Elsah back in 2014. Start time on Friday is scheduled for 5 p.m.

On Sunday, Augie will face off against Illinois Tech, their first meeting since 2016. The Scarlet Hawks boasted an 18-3-2 record last season, narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament after falling in their conference tournament championship to Concordia-Wisconsin by a score of 1-0. Illinois Tech was 9-2-2 at home a year ago and 3-0 against fellow CCIW squads, defeating Carthage, Elmhurst and North Park. Saturday will mark the start of the season for Illinois Tech as they gear up to host North Park before welcoming in Augie on Sunday.

The Vikings are 2-0 all-time versus the Scarlet Hawks, winning the most recent matchup in 2016 by a final of 3-0. Start time on Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Live video and stat links can be found here.