The Southwest Minnesota State University soccer team will travel to Mankato, Minn., for its first ever NCAA tournament game in the program's 18-year history. SMSU, the fifth seed, will match up with Central Missouri - the fourth seed. The winner will advance to the semifinal round to play top-seeded Minnesota State on Sunday at 1 p.m. SMSU enters the game on a 4-game winless streak and hasn't scored a goal since Oct. 26 versus Concordia-St. Paul - a streak that has ballooned to 406:43 minutes.

OPPONENT AT A GLANCE

#14 CENTRAL MISSOURI --  The Jennies enter the NCAA tournament game with an overall record of 14-3-2. The Jennies were bumped from the MIAA tournament in the opening round by Central Oklahoma. UCM features nine 2013 all-conference players, including Carly Stanley, who was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Year, Cindy Lackey, who earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, and Hannah Pyle, who was named MIAA Freshman of the Year. Head coach Lew Theobald earned his fourth-consecutive MIAA Coach of the Year honor and his sixth in seven seasons at UCM. Stanley, Lackey, Pyle were joined by Kristin Bright and Becky Lackey on the All-MIAA first team. Three Jenniess earned second-team honors, while goalkeeper Jessica Grindstaff earned third team recognition. The Jennies have scored 60 goals on the season and are led offensively by Julie Ireland and Hannah Pyle, who each have 10 goals on the season. UCM averages 3.16 goals and 16.2 shots per game. UCM has utilized three goalies these season but Grindstaff has the most time under her belt -- 860 minutes, seven goals allowed, 29 saves and an 8-2-0 record with five shutouts. The Jennies have been shutout just three times. UCM tied with Winona State (2OT) to open up the season and fell to Minnesota State two days later 3-0. The Jennies defeated fellow NSIC members U-Mary, 5-2, and Minot State 2-0. 

A WIN OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI WOULD...

-Snap a 4-game winless streak.

-Give SMSU its first defeat of a ranked opponent in school history.

-Give SMSU its first postseason win since the 2004 season.

-Give SMSU its first NCAA tournament win in program history (first appearance).

-Advance SMSU to the semifinals versus No. 1 Minnesota State on Sunday.

-(Shutout) Give SMSU its 11th shutout of the season. 

RECAP: LAST WEEK 

It was a roller coaster week of emotions as the Mustangs were ousted in the first round of the NSIC tournament and extended its winless streak to four games. In the end the Mustangs strong season allowed them to receive the programs first ever NCAA tournament berth. SMSU dropped a 1-0 contest to Upper Iowa in the first round of the NSIC tournament as the Peacocks scored the game-winning goal in the eighth minute off a penalty kick from seven yards out.

NSIC COACH OF THE YEAR

Head coach TJ Buchholz was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year for his team's performance this season. The 2013 season has seen many firsts for the Mustang soccer program, including the program's first ever national ranking and setting SMSU single-season records for overall wins, NSIC wins, consecutive wins, and shutouts. Buchholz has guided the 2013 squad to an overall record of 14-3-2, 11-2-2 in the NSIC and led SMSU to its first postseason NSIC tournament berth since 2007. During his tenure, SMSU has recorded 26 wins, including 20 conference victories and its first winning record since 1999. Buchholz, who has ten seasons of head coaching experience at the collegiate level, came to SMSU after spending one season as assistant women's soccer coach at NCAA Division I California-Riverside. Buchholz becomes the program's second coach to be named NSIC Coach of the Year – Jill McCartney was named Coach of the Year in 1999.

NSIC GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR

In her first collegiate season in net, true freshman Brienna Dehkes earned Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Goalkeeper of the Year accolades. Dehkes, a native of Elk River, Minn., has had quite the successful first season at the collegiate level. Dehkes has started 18 of 19 games in net for the Mustangs and recorded a NSIC record of 10-2-2. Dehkes has recorded eight shutouts over NSIC opponents this season, which tied for the league lead. Dehkes owns an .879 save percentage and a goals allowed average of 0.55 in NSIC matches this season – both ranking second best among NSIC goalkeepers.  Dehkes has made 58 saves and allowed just eight goals in conference play this season. As a true freshman, Dehkes set new SMSU single-season records in save percentage (.892), goals against average (0.54), wins (13) and shutouts (9). Dehkes was named NSIC Player of the Week twice this season – Oct. 28 and Sept. 23. She was also named to the All-NSIC first team. 

ALL-NSIC

The Mustangs placed six on the 2013 All-Northern Sun Conference teams. Miranda Cadena and Dehkes were named to the All-NSIC first team, while Autumn Hayes, Kendahl Fisher, and Megan Kilroy were named to the All-NSIC second team. Danica Requejo was named to the All-NSIC honorable mention team.