OPENING KICK
After suffering a pair of NSIC losses last weekend at home, the Southwest Minnesota State soccer team will look to get back on track as it hosts St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth this weekend. The Mustangs will face SCSU on Saturday before playing UMD on Sunday. Both games will be played at the Schwan Regional Event Center and start at 1 p.m.

OPPONENTS AT A GLANCE
ST. CLOUD STATE-St. Cloud State has been nearly perfect since opening the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. The Huskies tied their first pair of NSIC games against Minnesota Duluth and Northern State. SCSU has won the last three games while only giving up just one goal in those matches. St. Cloud State finished the 2014 campaign 6-11-1 and 5-9-1 in the NSIC.

MINNESOTA DULUTH-Minnesota Duluth has struggled in NSIC games so far this year as the Bulldogs lone win came with a 1-0 victory against MSU-Moorhead. UMD has suffered losses in its last three games and only has found the back of the net just once. The Bulldogs will face USF on Saturday before playing SMSU on Sunday. UMD finished the 2014 season 9-10-1 overall and 8-6-1 in the NSIC while knocking off No. 23 Augustana in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament before losing to Winona State.

SERIES HISTORY
ST. CLOUD STATE-Southwest Minnesota State will meet St. Cloud State for just the 22nd time in program history on Saturday afternoon with SCSU holding a 13-7-1 advantage in a series that started back in the 1996 season. The Huskies hold a 6-2-1 record in games played at the Schwan Regional Event Center. The Mustangs have taken the last five contests with a combined score of 11-2.

MINNESOTA DULUTH-SMSU will face UMD for the 25th time in program history on Sunday with the Bulldogs  holding a 22-2 record in a series that started back in 1996. The Mustangs will look for just its second victory against UMD at the Schwan Regional Event Center, as the Bulldogs hold an 8-1 advantage in games in Marshall. SMSU won last season in Duluth for the first time in program history and at home in 2013 for the first time in Marshall.

HEAD COACH
Erin Kasmarik-Mallett is in her first season as head women's soccer coach at Southwest Minnesota State in 2015. She was named to the position on July 23, 2015. Kasmarik-Mallett, who becomes the fifth head coach in program history, comes to SMSU after serving as the head boys' soccer coach at Brookings (S.D.) High School for two seasons (2013-14) and has also served as an assistant women's soccer coach at South Dakota State University. She has also coached several club teams in South Dakota since 2010.

RECORD AT HOME
Southwest Minnesota State is 0-3 in game played at the Schwan Regional Event Center after finishing 6-3-1 in home games last season. SMSU is a combined 21-31-3 all-time at home.

UP NEXT
Southwest Minnesota State will continue Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action next week as they head to Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. SMSU will face BSU on Saturday before playing UMC on Sunday. Both games are set to start at 1 p.m.