THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University women's soccer team opens the 2024 season this Friday and Sunday with a pair of non-conference matches on the campus of Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn.
•SMSU opens the season on Friday facing West Florida starting at 1 p.m., before closing the weekend taking on No. 17 Emporia State (Kan.) on Sunday with an 11 a.m. start time.
•SMSU, which is beginning its 29th season of soccer, is coming off a 6-10-1, 6-7-1 NSIC, season in 2023.
2024 OUTLOOK
•SMSU third-year head coach,
Clay Glasgow, returns 21 letter winners from the 2023 squad that finished 6-10-1 overall, including 6-7-1 in conference play. The 2024 team features seven seniors, nine juniors, five sophomores, and six freshmen.
•Senior
Selena Prolic and Junior
Haley Mason are the team's top returning scorers after both scoring three goals and recording one assist last season.
•Junior
Brooke Wetterstrom returns after leading the team last season in assists with five while also tallying two goals.
•Senior goalkeeper
Rachel Hicks returns after finishing 2-4-1 last season with a 1.64 GAA and recording one shutout.
HEAD COACH CLAY GLASGOW
•
Clay Glasgow is in his third season as head coach and has a record of 9-18-8 overall, including 9-15-5 in NSIC play. He was hired as the sixth head coach in program history on Feb. 25, 2022.
•Glasgow came to SMSU after spending eight seasons (2014-21) as head women's soccer coach at Dakota Wesleyan University (S.D.) recording a mark of 49-86-5.
•During his last two seasons at DWU, the Tigers amassed back-to-back winning seasons and qualified for the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament both seasons.
SERIES HISTORY
•SMSU and West Florida meet for the first time on Friday.
•SMSU and Emporia State (Kan.) meet for the third time with ESU holding a 1-0 series advantage. The two teams last met on Sept. 2, 2005, with a final score of 2-2 in Warrensburg, Mo.
SCOUTING WEST FLORIDA
•Joe Bartlinski enters his 23rd year as the head coach of West Florida, which is a part of the Gulf South Conference.
•West Florida is coming off a 15-3-1 overall record and 12-1 in conference play.
•West Florida finished last season in first place in the GSC and has appeared in 18 NCAA tournaments.
•West Florida was named the favorite in the 13-team Gulf South Conference preseason poll, including five players being named on the All-GSC Preseason Team.
•Senior forward, Mya Swinton returns for the Argonauts after tallying nine goals and five assists in the 2023 season. Swinton was named the 2023 GSC Player of the year.
SCOUTING EMPORIA STATE (KAN.)
•Jane Grimley-Gunn enters her first season as the head coach for Emporia State, which is a part of the Mid-America intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).
• The Hornets are ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll and will play at Minnesota State University Mankato on Friday before taking on SMSU.
•ESU was picked fifth in the 12-team MIAA after finishing 14-6-4 last season and winning its second MIAA regular season championship.
•ESU lost in the championship round of the NCAA Central Region Tournament.
•Senior forward, Hadlie Lowe returns for the Hornets after tallying six goals last season.
SMSU PICKED 10TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was selected 10th in the 15-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•Mustang sophomore midfielder
Trinity Reagan and sophomore defender
Illjana Arbaugh were both named 'Players to Watch' in 2024.
SEASON OPENERS
•SMSU is 6-20-1 all-time in season openers following last season's 2-1 loss versus Morningside (Iowa).
•SMSU's last season-opening victory came in 2021 with a 1-0 win at Black Hills State.
MUSTANG HISTORY
•SMSU is in its 29th season of soccer in 2024 and 28th season of competition (2020 was canceled).
•SMSU has compiled an all-time record of 163-296-37, including 118-170-24 in NSIC games.
•SMSU has made 14 NSIC tournaments and played in the region championship of the NCAA Tournament in 2013.
•SMSU has recorded four winning seasons in program history with the last coming in 2019.
