MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State soccer team, 5-6-0 overall and 4-3-0 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action, will hit the road this weekend to take on University of Minnesota, Crookston (3-9, 2-5 NSIC) on Saturday.   Then, on Sunday the team will continue travel to take on Minnesota State University Moorhead (7-3-1, 3-3-1 NSIC).  Both matches are slated for a 1 p.m. start.

The match-up: Southwest Minnesota State holds a 13-2 all-time series record against Crookston.  The Mustangs first loss to the Golden Eagles was back in 2003 with a final score of 1-2.  The last meeting between these two teams which was in October of 2010 accounts for the second and final loss of the series for SMSU.  This game also resulted in a 1-2 score.
 
The match-up on Sunday will mark the 21st meeting between MSU Moorhead and Southwest Minnesota State.  MSU holds a one-game (8-9-3) lead over SMSU.  Last season, the Dragons were able to take the series lead winning 1-0 over the Mustangs.
 
Last time out: Augustana (S.D.) scored early in the match last Saturday in Marshall to beat the Mustangs 1-0.  Then, on Sunday SMSU scored two goals in the second half to overcome the 1-0 deficit to defeat Wayne State (Neb.).

Augustana's Haley Berner scored off a scramble in front of SMSU's net in the 22nd minute. SMSU's freshman goalkeeper #Sonya Smith# finished the match making 10 saves on 25 shots.
 
On Sunday, Wayne State took an early 1-0 lead when Alex Mathers put the Wildcats on the board in the 30th minute.  Throughout the game, Smith faced 18 shots, making 12 saves and allowing just one goal. Sophomore Whitney Borstad was able to tie the match at 1, scoring an unassisted goal in the 55th minute. Borstad's goal was the first of her career at SMSU.  Brittany Oehlerking set up the game-winning goal hitting Kelly Fitzgerald who drilled home her fourth goal of the season giving SMSU a 2-1 lead in the 71st minute.

In the record book: Senior forward Kelly Fitzgerald continues to make her way up the all-time scoring list at SMSU. The senior's 15 career goals, ranks her 10th all-time at SMSU. Fitzgerald leads the Mustangs in scoring with four goals and two assists to give her a total of eight points on the 2011 season.

Back-stopping the Mustangs: Freshman goalkeeper Sonya Smith has been nothing short of spectacular in the net for SMSU this season. Smith made an impact for the Mustangs her first weekend in goal, earning NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 7. She was the first Mustangs soccer player to earn NSIC player of the week honors since Ellen Diekemper was named offensive player of the week on Oct. 2, 2007.

By the numbers: SMSU freshman netminder Sonya Smith has moved her way into the women's soccer national rankings. Smith ranks first in all of Division II with 111 saves (10.55 saves per game) on the season. She also ranks 21st in the country with a .874 save percentage, which also ranks first amongst goalkeepers in the NSIC. 

Scouting the Golden Eagles: Crookston enters the contest with a 3-9-0 overall record, including 2-5-0 in NSIC play.  The Golden eagles have scored five goals on the season.  Leading Crookston in goals is Nikki  Hammond; she holds 4 on the season.  Amanda Stapleton has started all games for the Golden Eagles in goal.  She has allowed 22 goals while making 86 saves and is 3-9 on the season.  Crookston is coming into play after a 2-0 loss to MSU Moorhead on October, 7.

Scouting the Dragons: Moorhead enters the match-up 7-3-1 overall and 3-3-1 in NSIC play. The Dragons have scored 21 goals on the season.  Amanda Wurdeman and Jordyn Wallenborn lead the Dragons in goals with five each. In goal for MSU is Victoria Hoffman with a record of 3-1-0 playing in six out of 11 games and Carole Brascheyko appearing in five out of 11 games holding a record of 2-2-1.  The Dragons are coming off of a 2-0 win over Minnesota, Crookston.

In the ranks: SMSU earned a spot in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Central Region rankings last week. The Mustangs debuted at No. 10 in the regional rankings. SMSU has since dropped out of the rankings.

Watch us on New Media TV: All SMSU home soccer matches will be available to watch live for FREE via web streaming through New Media TV. Click HERE for live video streaming of SMSU home games.

We'll do it live: Live statistics will be available for ALL SMSU home soccer matches. For live stats against Minnesota, Crookston click HERE. For live stats against MSU Moorhead click HERE.

Returning veterans: SMSU returns 10 players from the 2010 roster with playing experience at SMSU. The Mustangs return a core of five seniors, including last season's leading goal scorer Kelly Fitzgerald and All-NSIC selection goalkeeper #Kendra Olchefske#, #Brittany Oehlerking#, #Alyssa Lavorata#, and Amber Williamson each have contributed to the Mustang soccer program during their careers. SMSU also returns three sophomores and three juniors from 2010.

California connection: Transfer student-athlete #Vanesa Corona# and freshman #Kailey Fernandez# both call the state of California home. Corona is a transfer from Cypress College in Cypress, Calif. who scored 21 goals in two seasons at Cypress College. Fernandez comes to Marshall via Villa Park High School in Orange, Calif. She led her team in goals and was named the team's defensive MVP as a senior.

Seeing double: Twin sister's Shayna and Sonya Smith from Anoka, Minn. join the Mustangs for their freshman season in 2011. They join a team that is no stranger to sibling connections. Current Mustang sophomore #Whitney Borstad# played one season with her older sister #Tatum Borstad#, SMSU's all-time leader in minutes played, who played with her older sister #Kayla Borstad# during her senior season in 2007.

What happened in 2010: SMSU finished the 2010 season 1-11-4 overall, including 0-9-4 in NSIC play. Kelly Fitzgerald led the team scoring four goals while adding one assist for nine points on the season. Goalkeeper Kendra Olchefske was named All-NSIC third team in 2010. Olchefske finished the 2010 season ranked second in the NSIC with 8.69 saves per game.

The coach: TJ Buchholz is in his first season as head coach at SMSU in 2011 with a record of 5-6, 4-3 in NSIC play. Buchholz was named the fourth head coach in program history on April 19, 2011. Buchholz has nine seasons of head coaching experience at the collegiate level. He came to SMSU after spending the 2010 season as assistant women's soccer coach at NCAA Division I California-Riverside. Prior to UC-Riverside, Buchholz spent two seasons (2008-09) as the head women's and men's soccer coach at Wartburg College (Iowa) and seven seasons (2001-07) as head coach of the men's program at Northwestern College (Iowa). He also served one season as the Northwestern head women's soccer coach (2007).  His career head coaching record in women's soccer is 43-20-5 in three seasons and 99-69-7 in nine seasons as a men's head coach.

According to the coaches: Southwest Minnesota State was picked to finish 14th in the NSIC preseason poll in 2011. Winona State was picked as the preseason favorite for the second consecutive season.

1. Winona State (12) 168
2. Minnesota Duluth (1) 146
3. Minnesota State (1) 141
4. Augustana 122
5. University of Mary 115
6. Bemidji State 111
7. St. Cloud State 102
8. Upper Iowa 92
9. Wayne State 80
10. Northern State 62
11.Concordia-St. Paul 53
12. Minnesota, Crookston 31
13. MSU Moorhead 29
14. SMSU 22

History lesson: 2011 marks the 16th season of women's college soccer at Southwest Minnesota State. SMSU owns an all-time record of 89-182-19, including 54-77-12 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

Stay connected: Stay connected with SMSU soccer all season long at www.smsumustangs.com The Mustangs are also on Facebook and Twitter.