THIS WEEK
-The Southwest Minnesota State University soccer team (1-3 overall, 0-2 NSIC) returns home for NSIC action on Friday, Sept. 24, facing Minot State (3-2, 2-0), and UMary (2-1-2, 1-0-1) on Sunday, Sept 26.
-Kickoff at the Schwan Regional Event Center is set for 3 p.m. Friday, while kickoff against UMary is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
LAST WEEK
-The Mustangs started conference play on the road, dropping a pair of matches at Upper Iowa and Winona State over the weekend.
-On Friday, Upper Iowa netted a long range winner in the 64th minute to give the Mustangs their first conference loss 1-0.
-Alex Lotts scored in the third minute of Sunday's game at Winona State, but a pair of WSU goals before halftime proved to be the difference in a 2-1 match.
SERIES HISTORY
-SMSU is 2-8 all-time against Minot State, with the first meeting coming in 2010.
-Their last meeting came in 2019, when the Mustangs scored two goals early in the second period to take a 2-1 lead before a pair of goals from the Beavers gave them a 3-2 victory.
-SMSU is 4-14 all time against UMary, meeting for the first time in 1997.
-Their last meeting came on Oct. 18, 2019, when UMary defeated the Mustangs 4-0.
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 31-59-3 overall, including 27-48-2 in conference play.
BETWEEN THE POSTS
-SMSU redshirt freshman Meghan Harkin has started every game in net for the young Mustangs club, recording eight saves over the weekend.
-Harkin ranks fifth in the NSIC in goals against average.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
-The conference opening weekend saw 11 freshmen get action for the Mustangs, including seven in the starting XI's.
-Redshirt Meghan Harkin recorded eight saves in two games.
-True freshman Kirsten Wetterstrom led the team Friday, picking up two shots and taking the lone shot on goal.
-True freshman Destinee Lopez saw her first extended action of the season on Saturday, putting her lone shot on net in 32 minutes.
-The 2021 season has seen 12 freshmen get action for the Mustangs, with eight tallying starts.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
-The Mustangs are 1-3 heading into their first home conference weekend.
-Alex Lotts leads the team offensively, scoring both Mustang goals on the season.
-Katie Oatman has held down the defense this season, playing every minute and taking a pair of shots, including one shot on goal.
-Meghan Harkin has started every game in net for the SMSU, giving up less than one goal against per game.
-The Mustangs played in five scrimmages against conference opponents in the spring of 2021, finishing 2-2-1.
2021 Outlook
-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.
ON THE HORIZON
-SMSU opens October back on the road, facing St. Cloud State on Friday, Oct. 1, and at Minnesota Duluth on Sunday, Oct. 3, at noon.
SCOUTING MINOT STATE
-Head coach Chris Clements enters his third season leading the charge for the Beavers, and his the second head coach in their history.
-MISU has started the season 3-2 and 2-0 in the NSIC after a pair of shutout victories on the road against Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State.
-MISU was picked to finish 10th in the NSIC preseason coaches poll
-MISU is lead by Chloe Allan, who has scored three goals and tallied five shots on goal through five games.
-Junior Maddie Kindred has started every game in net for MISU, and is coming off of a NSIC goalie of the Week campaign that saw her record a pair of shutouts on 15 saves. She is averaging seven saves per game, and leads the conference with three shutouts
SCOUTING UMARY
-Head coach Sarah Cook enters her 10th season leading the charge for the Marauders, and is UMary's fifth coach in program history.
-UMary has started the season 2-1-2 and 1-0-1 in the conference after a 2-2 tie at St. Cloud State and a 1-0 win at Duluth last weekend
-UMary was picked to finish sixth in the NSIC preseason coaches poll
-UMary is lead by Kendra Park, who leads the team with two goals in five games this season while putting three shots on goal
-Senior Madisyn Waltman has started every game between the pipes for UMary, recording an .848 save percentage while allowing 0.92 goals per game.
SMSU PICKED 9TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
-SMSU was voted ninth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll
-Abbey Hoisington and 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 second team.
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 this season's 1-0 victory on the road against Black Hills State.
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 106-147-19 in 272 conference games, finishing with a winning conference record in nine seasons.
MUSTANG HISTORY
-Southwest Minnesota State is in its 26th season of soccer in 2021 and 25th season of competition.
-SMSU has played 445 games compiling an all-time record of 151-267-27.
-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
