THIS WEEK: The Southwest Minnesota State soccer team will conclude its non-conference schedule and three game home stand with a match against No. 4 Central Missouri Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Mustangs enter the contest fresh off of their first win of the season after beating Washburn 1-0 this past Saturday. SMSU will open its 15-match conference schedule versus the University of Sioux falls on Friday.
OPPONENTS AT A GLANCE:
CENTRAL MISSOURI—The Central Missouri Jennies travel to Marshall having won their first two matches of the season. The Jennies defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State and Augustana both by a score of 3-0 and enter their meeting with SMSU with a plus six goal differential. Members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, the Jennies have won six consecutive conference titles and are coming off back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Elite Eight.
SIOUX FALLS—The University of Sioux Falls women's soccer team began its 2016 season in Kearney, Neb. with matches against William Jewell (Mo.) and Rockhurst (Mo.). The Cougars played to a 1-1 draw through two overtime periods against William Jewell this past Friday before losing 2-0 to Rockhurst for its first loss of the season on Sunday.
SERIES HISTORY:
CENTRAL MISSOURI—Southwest Minnesota State will meet the University of Central Missouri for the fourth time in school history. This match will be the first match between SMSU and CMU since meeting in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament which the Mustangs won 3-1 en route to their best finish in program history. Central Missouri had won the only two previous meetings by a combined score of 10-2.
SIOUX FALLS—Southwest Minnesota State will face the University of Sioux Falls soccer team for the 12th time in program history and for the 5th time in NSIC competition. The Mustangs are 4-0 against Sioux Falls in NSIC matches winning six of the previous eight meetings overall. SMSU has outscored Sioux Falls by a combined 25-5 in their previous eight meetings dating back to 1999.
HEAD COACH:
Erin Kasmarik-Mallett is now in her second season as the head women's soccer coach at Southwest Minnesota State in 2016. She was named to the position on July 23, 215. Kasmarik-Mallet, the fifth women's soccer head coach at SMSU, posted the most wins (8) for a first year head coach in the program's history in 2015. She began this season with an overall coaching record of 8-9-2.
SUPER SUB: Senior defender,
Brenna Giddings, has provided solid minutes for the Mustangs coming off of the bench netting her first career goal in SMSU's last match against Washburn. Giddings' goal against Washburn came off of a corner for SMSU in the 63rd minute of a scoreless game and that proved to be the game winning score, helping the Mustangs to their first win of the season.
CLEAN SHEET CRAIGMILE: Freshman goalkeeper,
Jessica Craigmile, has seen a considerable amount of action in front of her goal through two matches facing 32 total shots and 18 total shots on goal. She has 15 total saves thus far that included robbing Washburn of a goal scoring opportunity in the 50th minute in the Mustangs' last match, preserving Craigmile's first career clean sheet.
SMSU AT HOME: Southwest Minnesota State began the 2016 season by splitting its first two home matches of the year. SMSU finished with a record of 4-3-1 at home in 2015 as the Mustangs posted their fourth consecutive winning record at Schwan Regional Event Center. SMSU is a combined 28-34-4 all time in home matches.
UP NEXT: Southwest Minnesota State will continue its 15-match NSIC schedule next week with two road games. The Mustangs will first travel to Moorhead, Minn. to play MSU Moorhead on Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. followed by a match on Sept. 18 at 1 p.m. against Northern State.
