LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Wesleyan University men's soccer team is excited to get their season started this weekend when the Prairie Wolves begin the 2019 campaign on Friday (Aug. 30) against the University of the Ozarks.  NWU and Ozarks are meeting for the very first time in soccer and will playing in Pella, Iowa on Central College's stadium.
 
Following Friday's match in Iowa, the Prairie Wolves travel on to Minnesota to face Saint John's University on Saturday at 1 p.m.  NWU plays their first six matches of the season away from home.
 
University of Ozarks, out of Clarksville, Arkansas, is coming off an 8-8-3 season in 2018.  They saw their season come to an end in the American Southwest Conference Tournament Quarterfinals.
 
Saturday's match versus Saint John's will be the 8^th meeting all-time between the two programs with SJU leading the series 5-2.  The two teams last played in 2017 when the Johnnies defeated NWU 4-3 in the season opening match in Collegeville, Minn.  Saint John's was 8-7-1 overall last season.  They were picked 6^th in the MIAC preseason coaches' poll.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan is coming off an 8-8-1 season in 2018 and the Prairie Wolves have qualified for the conference postseason tournament in back-to-back seasons.  Head Coach Brandon Bonilla enters his second season as the head coach at NWU and welcomes back 17 total letterwinners, including 13 players that started at least one match.
 
NWU was picked to finish 6^th in the American Rivers Conference preseason poll.