THIS WEEK

The Southwest Minnesota State University soccer team takes the field in the regular season for the first time in nearly two seasons on Friday Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. in Spearfish, S.D.

Friday will be the first time the Mustangs take the field in regular season action in 660 days, with their last game ending in a 3-1 loss against Augustana in the 2019 NSIC Tournament.

    LAST WEEK

The Mustangs opened their season this past weekend splitting a pair of exhibition games on Friday and Sunday.

On Friday, SMSU fell 1-0 at the hands of the College of Saint Benedict Bennies. The Bennies got on the board early, scoring in the sixth minute to take a lead that would not be relinquished. 

Sunday was a different story, seeing Kirsten Wetterstrom score first for the Mustangs in the 27th minute, before the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers tied the game in the 34th. The game went to overtime, before Emma Dahnert netted the game winner off of a corner kick.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS BLACK HILLS STATE

SMSU and Black Hills State will meet for the second time.

SMSU leads the series 1-0-0 all-time against the Yellow Jackets, with a 2-1 victory in Marshall on Sept. 8, 2019.

    ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE   

Friday will be the first time the Mustangs take the field in regular season action in 660 days, with their last game ending in a 3-1 loss against Augustana in the 2019 NSIC Tournament.

The Mustangs played in five scrimmages against conference opponents in the spring of 2021, finishing 2-2-1.

SMSU returns two of their top three scorers from 2019 in Abbey Hoisington and Alex Lotts, with Katie Oatman and Jessica Jugovich also scoring goals in 2019.

SMSU was voted ninth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll

Abbey Hoisington and Katie Oatman were named NSIC Players to Watch. 

    ERIN KASMARIK-MALLETT FILES

Erin Kasmarik-Mallett, the fifth head coach in Mustang history, enters her seventh season leading the Mustangs, and her sixth season of competition.

Kasmarik-Mallett has compiled a career record of 30-56-3 overall, including 27-46-2 in conference play.

    FRESH FACES

The 2021 fall will see the arrival of 12 true freshman who join Erin Kasmarik-Mallett's seventh installment of the Mustangs women's soccer program.

Julianne Arballo, a goalkeeper from San Diego, Calif.

Lauren Jones, a goalkeeper from Big Lake, Minn.

Kenzie McInerney, a forward from Groton, S.D.

Laney Brill, a midfielder from Belle Fourche, S.D.

Erin Wetterstrom, a defender from Olathe, Minn.

Kirsten Wetterstrom, a forward from Olathe, Minn.

Selena Prolic, a forward from West Allis, Wis.

Kylee Bennett, a midfielder from Summerset, S.D.

Destinee Lopez, a midfielder from Reno, Nev.

Kyler Hahn, a defender from Lincoln, Neb.

Emma Dahnert, a defender from Owatonna, Minn.

Kylie Birath, a defender from Brandon, S.D.
 

    SCOUTING BLACK HILLS STATE

Head Coach Andrew Conniff enters his first season leading the charge for the Yellow Jackets

BHSU played a spring season in 2020, finishing 0-11, 0-5 in conference. 

BHSU was picked to finish 12th in the RMAC preseason coaches poll

BHSU returns all four goal scorers from last season, including senior Gabbi Nowodworski, who led the team with two goals.

Sophomore Morgan Wood returns in net for the Yellow Jackets after appearing in five games, including three starts. Wood averaged 4.8 saves a game in 2020.

    SMSU PICKED 9TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL

SMSU was voted ninth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll

Abbey Hoisington Katie Oatman were named NSIC Players to Watch

Minnesota State was picked to top the conference, with Augustana, Concordia-St. Paul, Bemidji State, and St Cloud State rounding out the top five.

    REWINDING TO 2019

SMSU is coming off one of its best seasons in recent years in 2019, finishing with an 11-7 overall record, including 9-6 NSIC. 

It was the program's first winning season since 2014 and also qualified for the NSIC Tournament for the first time since 2015. 

Abbey Hoisington returns after collecting all-NSIC 2nd team. 

    ON THE HORIZON

The Mustangs come home to host Missouri Western State on Sunday, Sept. 12.

SMSU opens their conference slate at Upper Iowa on Friday, Sept. 17. 

    SMSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT 

SMSU's lone NCAA Tournament appearance was made in 2013

SMSU is 2-1 in the NCAA tournament all time, outscoring teams by a score of 5-4.

    SEASON OPENERS 

SMSU is 5-19 all-time in season openers following last season's 2-1 victory at home against Black Hills State.

SMSU will begin the season on the road for the first time since 2018.

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC 

The 2021 campaign marks the 24th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. 

SMSU has an all-time record of 106-145-19 in 270 conference games, finishing with a winning conference record in nine seasons. 

    MUSTANG HISTORY 

Southwest Minnesota State enters its 26th season of soccer in 2021, and 25th season of competition.

SMSU has played 444 games compiling an all-time record of 150-267-27. 

SMSU has made 14 NSIC tournaments, and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in 2013.

SMSU has recorded four winning seasons in program history