OPENING KICK
The Southwest Minnesota State University soccer team continues its 5-game homestand this Saturday and Sunday with two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games this weekend versus Minot State and the University of Mary. The Mustangs will put their perfect 4-0 record on the line Saturday afternoon with a matchup versus the 2012 NSIC Tournament Champion Minot State Beavers.
In 2012, The Mustangs traveled to North Dakota to take on the Beavers and the Marauders in their first NSIC road weekend. The road trip was one to forget for SMSU as the Mustangs lost a pair of one goal games -- 3-2 to U-Mary and 2-1 to Minot State. It was a stretch that started a three-game losing streak for the Mustangs.
OPPONENTS AT A GLANCE
MINOT STATE -- The Beavers are off to a slow start in 2013 as MISU holds a 0-1-2 record. MISU is coming off a campaign in which it saw the Beavers capture the 2012 NSIC Tournament and a berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Beavers return 14 letterwinners from last year's team which finished 15-4-3 overall, including a fourth place NSIC regular season finish with its 11-3-1 conference record. Jason Spain is in his fourth season with the Beavers and he sports a record 35-19-6 through his first three years.
U-MARY -- The Marauders, a team that finished10-5 in the NSIC last season, have begun the 2013 campaign on a rocky note. U-Mary is winless in its first four games as the Marauders are 0-3-1. In its lone NSIC game thus far, U-Mary tied Minot State 0-0 on Sept. 5. The Marauders have scored just two goals in four games and have been shutout three times. Sarah McNulty is in her second season at the helm of the Marauder women's soccer program.
RECAP: LAST WEEK
Southwest Minnesota State went 2-0 this past week with victories over Sioux Falls and Lindenwood (Mo.) SMSU took down Sioux Falls 3-1 to open up Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action on Wednesday. On Friday, SMSU held its home opener when the Mustangs welcomed the Lions of Lindenwood (Mo.). SMSU scored late in the game to take the contest by a score of 2-1.
On Wednesday,
Autumn Hayes led SMSU as she snapped a 1-1 tie with a goal in the 80th minute and then added a goal off a penalty kick in the 90th minute to secure the victory. It was Hayes' second career two-goal game.
Kendahl Fisher netted her second goal of the season to give SMSU a 1-0 early in the second half off an assist from Hayes, before USF (0-3, 0-1 NSIC) answered with a goal in the 57th minute. SMSU dominated the contest, unleashing 22 shots, including 11 on goal. Hayes and Fisher each had four shots on goal, while
Miranda Cadena had a pair of shots on goal.
Brienna Dehkes picked up the victory in goal for SMSU making a pair of saves.
On Friday,
Miranda Cadena's two goals lifted SMSU to a 2-1 victory over Lindenwood (Mo.) in a non-conference matchup at the Schwan Regional Event Center. With the win, SMSU improved to 4-0 on the season, which set the mark for best start to a season in program history.
In the 28th minute, SMSU broke the scoreless tie when
Miranda Cadena scored from the far side of the field. Cadena got deep in the box and she beat the keeper with an aggressive angled shot on goal. A Lion defender tried blocking the shot but the ball rolled across the goal line and through the near side of the net to give SMSU a 1-0 advantage.
SMSU held the 1-0 advantage into the half and into the early part of the second half until the Lions struck in the 61st minute. LWU's Kat Roe found the back of the net with her header shot from 12 yards out. The goal was Roe's third of the season and was set up by a nice centering pass from Kirsten Crabtree.
The game was fast and furious and remained physical throughout as the two teams were battling for advantage as the game wound down. In the 84th minute, Cadena came up big again for SMSU as she beat LWU's goalkeeper Bailey Tracy on a one-on-one. The play started from SMSU's defensive end with
Megan Kilroy punting it up to
Kendahl Fisher, who in turn found Cadena streaking down the center of the field. Cadena faked right and shot left to beat the keeper and put SMSU up 2-1.
Brienna Dehkes and the defensive unit held off a flurry of Lion attempts to even the score and the Mustangs hung on for a 2-1 victory.
