THIS WEEK 
 
The Southwest Minnesota State University women's soccer team (0-1-1) continues their 2026 regular season campaign on the road.
 
The Mustangs travel to Madison, S.D., facing Dakota State in an exhibition on Friday, Sept. 4, before playing Central Missouri on Sunday at 11 a.m. in Mankato, Minn.
 
Sunday's match will be streaming live on Midco Sports Plus.
 
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
 
The Mustangs began the 2026 season losing 4-0 to Ferris State.
 
SMSU then tied Upper Iowa 1-1, with Illjana Arbuagh scoring the first goal of the season for the Mustangs.
 
2026 OUTLOOK 
 
SMSU head coach Clay Glasgow entering his fifth season, returns 13 letter winners from 2025 and features seven seniors, four juniors, three sophomores, and five freshmen. 
 
SMSU will rely on the defensive veteran leadership of seniors Illjana Arbaugh and Sophia Sonnek to help steady the ship at the back. Arbaugh and Sonnek both played in 15 games last season, providing a combined three assists.
 
Junior forward Jada Backes will take a more central role in the Mustangs attack this season, after appearing in 16 games last season, scoring once against Minnesota State Moorhead.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Kennady Krebs returns after starting in net 15 times in 2025, making 93 saves.
 
HEAD COACH CLAY GLASGOW 
 
Clay Glasgow is in his fifth season as head coach and has a record of 14-48-11 overall, including 13-38-7 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 
 
The Mustangs will face Central Missouri for the sixth time on Sunday, with the Jennies holding a 4-1 advantage all time.
 
The last time the two teams met was in 2023, Glasgow's second season in Marshall, when UCM won 3-0. SMSU last defeated UCM in 2013.
 
SCOUTING CENTRAL MISSOURI
 
Central Missouri finished the 2025 season with a record of 11-6-4, 7-2-3 MIAA. The Jennies lost in the first round of the MIAA tournament, but upset No. 2 seeded Bemidji State in the NCAA Central Region before losing to No. 3 seeded St. Cloud State
 
Senior forward Mikayla Ernst returns after scoring 12 times and assisting six goals last season. Ernst has already found the net in 2026, scoring against Drury last week. Kristen Wright also returns in net for the Jennies. Wright kept 12 clean sheets last season and also kept two clean sheets in the opening weekend.
 
Head coach Lewis Theobald is in his 18th season at Central Missouri holding an overall record of 319-57-31.
 
SMSU PICKED 13TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL 
 
SMSU was selected 13th in the 16 team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. 
NSIC regular season and tournament champions Minnesota State was selected as the favorite to win the conference again, with 13 first place votes (coaches can't vote for their own school) and 223 points.  
 
Concordia-St. Paul finished in second place with 203 points and a three first place votes, followed by Bemidji State in third place with 103 points, St. Cloud State with 174 points, and Augustana rounding out the top five with 164 points.
 
Junior forward Jada Backes and senior defender Sophia Sonnek were both named 'Players to Watch' in the Preseason Poll.
 
MUSTANG HISTORY 
 
SMSU is in its 31st season of soccer in 2026 and 30th season of competition (2020 was canceled). 
 
The Mustangs have compiled an all-time record of 168-326-40, including 122-193-26 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.