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TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (0-0) at No. 1 SPRING ARBOR (Mich.) COUGARS (1-0)
Friday, August 26 | 6:00 p.m.
Adrian, Mich. | Cougar Soccer Complex

 

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TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (0-0) at CONCORDIA (Mich.) CARDINALS (2-0)
Saturday, August 27 | 1:00 p.m.
Ann Arbor, Mich. | Cardinal Stadium
 

This Week    
 • Trinity International kicks off the new season this week, and will be looking to make a statement in the very first match, as the Trojans hit the road to take on the defending national champions Spring Arbor (Mich.) Friday night. Saturday afternoon, Trinity wraps up the weekend trip with a visit to Concordia (Mich.) for a 1 p.m. kick.
 • Trinity have earned three straight trips to the NAIA National Tournament, and are the defending CCAC Tournament champions, having won the conference title two of the last three years.
 • Of the eleven Trojans with ten or more starts last season, only three return: senior Marta Sobey, junior Michelle Ortiz, and sophomore Jillian Kolster.
 • Trinity is unbeaten in it's last four season-openers, defeating John Brown (Ark.) at Schartner Field, 4-1 in
2012, then going on the road and knocking off Siena Heights (Mich.) 2-1 and Bethel (Ind.) 7-3 in 2013 and 2014,
respectively. Last season, the Trojans earned a scorless draw against 11th-ranked The Master's (Calif.).
 • Trinity has now recorded 13 or more wins in the past four seasons, and three consecutive appearances in the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship.

Last Time Out    
 •  The Trojans reached the Opening Round of the NAIA Women's Soccer Championship last season, falling to 6th-ranked Benedictine (Kan.), 2-0.
 • A scoreless match for the first hour of play, Benedictine broke through in the 63rd minute, with a 25-yard strike from Liz Enna, who fired from the right and hit the far post for the eventual game-winner. The Trojans pressed forward, but a second goal from BC's Liz Intfen in the 78th minute off a Raven corner kick clinched the match for the home team.
 • The Trojans had a number of looks at goal, but overall struggled to consistently generate chances, as Benedictine controlled possession and outshot TIU 20-3.

In the Polls    
 • Trinity earned 17 votes in the NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll, becoming one of nine programs to receive votes but fall short of the top 25.
 • The Trojans finished last season ranked No. 19 in the 2015 Postseason Poll, their highest-ever rank in the postseason rankings which debuted in 2012.
 • Trinity earned a national ranking in each of the past two Preseason Polls, starting last season at No. 17, and coming in at No. 25 in 2014.
 • TIU has earned a national rank at some point during each of the past four seasons, reaching as high as No. 17 in 2015.
 • TIU has been ranked in the Preseason Poll eight times in program history, since the poll began in 1999. (2000-2002, 2007, 2012-15)

Scouting the Opponents
 • The Cougars opened their national title defense on Wednesday, with a 3-0 victory over Aquinas (Mich.). SAU outshot their opponents 24-5 in their home debut.
 • Since a high-scoring victory on Oct. 17 of last season, in which the Cougars allowed four goals, Spring Arbor has not allowed a single score. Their current shutout streak stretches 11 matches, including through last season's NAIA Tournament.
 • Spring Arbor leads the all-time series with Trinity International 3-1, but the two sides have not met since the 2011 season.
• Concordia has started the season a perfect 2-0, following a 4-2 win over SCAD Savannah (Ga.) and a forfeit win against Bethel (Ind.)
• Julia Palushaj leads the team with all four goals scored so far this season.
• Trinity leads the all-time series with the Cardinals, claiming a win in the first-ever meeting last season.

Last Time vs. SAU
 • Diana Anderson put the Trojans on the board in the first half, but No. 19 Spring Arbor jumped out to a big early lead, scoring three times in the first 22 minutes of play in a 5-1 loss on Aug. 28, 2011.
 • SAU's Meagan Smith recorded a hat trick to help drop Trinity to 0-3 in the early season. The Trojans bounced back to reach the NCCAA National Tournament final later that season.

Last Time vs. CUAA
 • In her third career match, freshman forward Jillian Kolster recorded her first-ever goal in the 22nd minute, then went ahead and put away her second score later in the match to secure No. 17 Trinity International's first win of the season, 2-1 over the visiting Concordia (Mich.) Cardinals on Sept. 5, 2015
Hall of Fame
 • Head coach Patrick Gilliam was inducted into the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Hall of Fame, during the association's Hall of Fame Banquet as part of the NCCAA Annual Convention in June.
 • Gilliam was one of two inductees in the class of 2016, and the first representative from Trinity ever to be included into the NCCAA Hall of Fame.
 • With a career record of 289-118- 21 (.700), Gilliam is currently the second-winningest active coach in the NAIA.

Champions of Character
 • In 2015, Trinity International earned the Karl Boeck Conference Champions of Character Award for the fifth consecutive year. Entering this weekend, the Trojans have gone seven straight seasons without a single red card.
 • Over the past two seasons, TIU has been charged with only three yellow cards over 41 matches, for the lowest per-match average in the CCAC.

All-CCAC Team
 • Five Trojans were selected as part of the 2015 All-CCAC Team, led by senior forward Morgan Elzinga as the team's lone representative on the All-CCAC First Team.
 • Michelle Ortiz also earned her first career all-conference award, and was named to the All-CCAC Second Team.

Up Next
 • The Trojans wrap up the current three-match road trip on Tuesday, with a visit to Clarke (Iowa).
 • Trinity's home opener is set for a week from Saturday, when the Trojans host Corban (Ore.) at 12:00 p.m.