THIS WEEK
The Southwest Minnesota State University soccer team travels to Kearney, Neb., for a pair of contests on Friday, Aug. 26, and Sunday, Aug. 28.
The Mustangs open the season Aug. 26, at 11 a.m., against East Central (Okla.), and conclude their trip with a match against Nebraska-Kearney at 2 p.m., on Aug. 28.
Friday's match marks the SMSU debut for head coach Clay Glasgow, who arrives after eight seasons at Dakota Wesleyan University.
LAST WEEK
The Mustangs closed out their exhibition schedule with a 5-3 victory over College of St. Mary (Neb.), on Sunday, Aug. 21.
Selena Prolic netted a pair of early goals, but CSM would respond to both goals within 10 minutes to send a 2-2 match into the break.
Alex Lotts would add to the scoring with a pair of goals early in the second half, and after a CSM goal to cut the lead to 4-3, Prolic would put the game out of reach, closing out the hat trick and bringing the match to its final score.
2022 OUTLOOK
The Southwest Minnesota State soccer program returns 18 letter winners from a youthful 2021 team that finished 4-11-2 overall and 3-10-2 in conference play but closed the season going 3-5-2.
First-year head coach Clay Glasgow, fielding a roster that includes a pair of seniors, six juniors, 12 sophomores, and eight freshmen, welcomes back 100% of goal scoring from a year ago, led by Alex Lotts and Abbey Hoisington.
Lotts, the junior striker from Champlin, Minn., returns after tying for the team lead with four goals and also led the team with four assists.
Hoisington, the senior forward from Chantilly, Va., scored four goals on 19 shots on goal.
Sophomore forward Kirsten Wetterstrom returns after earning All-NSIC second team honors a season ago, scoring three goals on a team-high 32 shots.
Senior defender Katie Oatman is back to patrol the back line after leading the team with 1419 minutes played last season.
Sophomore Julianne Arballo is the lone returner in net for the Mustangs after going 2-2-1 last season while allowing 1.85 goals against average.
FRESH FACES
The 2022 fall will see the arrival of seven true freshmen and four transfers for the first installment of Clay Glasgow's Mustangs
Haley Mason, freshman forward from Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Sandra Kraling, freshman midfielder from Rochester, Minn.
Hannah Walburg, freshman midfielder from Watertown, S.D.
Lenee Chavez, freshman defender from Bakersfield, Calif.
Brooke Wetterstrom, freshman midfielder from Olathe, Kan.
Isabel Blanco, freshman defender from Surprise, Ariz.
Tessa Borwick, freshman midfielder from Nevada, Iowa
Kylie Peters, redshirt freshman midfielder from North Mankato, Minn., transfer from Illinois-Springield
Sydney Johnson, sophomore forward from Maple Grove, Minn., transfer from Purdue-Fort Wayne
Rachel Hicks, junior goalkeeper from Rexburg, Idaho, transfer from Western Wyoming CC
Ciarra Valdez, junior midfielder from Lehi, Utah, transfer from Western Wyoming CC
SERIES HISTORY
SMSU and East Central (Okla.) will meet for the first time in program history.
The Mustangs are 3-0 all-time against UNK, meeting for the first time in 2012.
Their last meeting came in September of 2014, when SMSU netted six goals in a 6-1 victory.
SCOUTING EAST CENTRAL (Okla.)
Riley Bailey is entering his 14th season as head women's soccer coach at ECU.
ECU was 3-11-2 and 2-8-2 in the GAC in 2021
ECU was picked to finish sixth in the NSIC preseason coaches poll
ECU is led by Tanja Bauböck, whose five goals helped give her a spot on the GAC First Team, and Cambori Watson also earned a spot on the first team anchoring the Tigers' back line.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
Rob Breton enters year one at the helm for the Lopers after being hired in April of 2022.
UNK went 2-16 a season ago, finishing 1-10 in the MIAA.
UNK was picked to finish 12th in the NSIC preseason coaches poll
The Lopers are led by Cammie Davis and Angelina Iocca, who each scored a goal and tallied an assist a season ago.
SMSU PICKED 13TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
SMSU was voted 13th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Kirsten Wetterstrom and Katie Oatman were named NSIC Players to Watch
Minnesota State was picked to top the conference, with Bemidji State, Augustana, Concordia-St. Paul, and UMary rounding out the top five.
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 1-0 victory on the road against Black Hills State.
SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC
The 2022 campaign marks the 25th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
SMSU has an all-time record of 109-155-19 in 281 conference games, finishing with a winning conference record in nine seasons.
MUSTANG HISTORY
Southwest Minnesota State is in its 27th season of soccer in 2022 and 26th season of competition.
SMSU has played 460 games compiling an all-time record of 154-278-29.
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
