The return of soccer to the Palouse will be an explosive introduction to a new season when the WSU women’s soccer team kicks off its season on Friday against Brigham Young University.

This will not be the first meeting in recent history between the schools, as the teams last played to a 0-0 tie in double overtime in 2014. WSU had nine shots on goal to BYU’s eight in the match.

WSU finished the 2015 season with a record of 14-6-0, netting 34 goals on the year. Senior Kaitlyn Johnson led the Cougs in scoring with seven goals.

The team also appeared in its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament, losing to Northwestern 1-0 in overtime as a No. 4 seed in the first round.

BYU had a strong season last year as well, finishing with a 16-3-2 record and a West Coast Conference title. The matches have been tight the last two times these teams have played, so Friday’s contest likely will hold a similar result.

Practice for WSU soccer began on Aug. 3, giving the team less than a month to prepare for its first match. Second-year Head Coach Todd Shulenberger does not believe home field advantage for WSU will have much of an impact on the contest, as both teams fared well last year away from home. WSU finished with a 9-1 road record last season, going 5-0 in PAC-12 play.

“Being a fall team, there isn’t very much time to prepare, you just have to go,” Shulenberger said.

This team’s roster features seven freshmen and two transfers, including freshman forward Morgan Weaver. From Curtis High School in University Place, Washington, Weaver is making the transition from high school to collegiate-level competition.

“It’s a lot different compared to the high school,” Weaver said. “You come in and you can’t slack. You have to train as hard as you can every day no matter what.”

Senior midfielder Kailiana Johnson credited Weaver and the other freshmen with setting high bars so far in practice.

“They’ve been pushing us as returners, making sure we earn our spots,” Johnson said. “They’ve been making a good impact.”

Johnson has gone to the NCAA Tournament every year since 2013, and will be in pursuit of her fourth consecutive trip this season.

The showdown will take place at 7 p.m. Friday at Lower Soccer Field in Pullman.