Mankato, Minn.— MSU returns home to play two games this weekend. Minnesota, Crookston will make its way to the pitch  Saturday, with a 12 p.m. showdown. The Mavericks  then take on MSU Moorhead on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Lots Going on at the Pitch:  Friday, the Maverick soccer team will hold a clinic with the Mankato United Top Soccer Program, a group which teaches soccer to students with special needs in the Mankato Area.  Saturday, the Mavericks will wear commemorative pink uniforms in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness and following the game a post-game autograph session will take place at The Pitch.  Sunday, those youth who participated in Friday’s clinic will be recognized prior to the match with MSU Moorhead and will be with the Mavericks during player introductions.

Looking ahead: MSU plays its final NSIC road games against Upper Iowa on Saturday Oct. 23, then travels to  rivals Winona State on Sunday  Oct. 24. Both games are scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

Weekend Recap: MSU earned six points as they beat Augustana and Wayne State last weekend in two NSIC showdowns. This extends the Mavericks winning-streak to four games, improving their Northern Sun record to 5-1-1 this season. Minnesota State beat Augustana 2-0 on Friday, with goals from forwards Cassie Weik and Courtney Vallarelli. Weik scored in the 26th minute on a free kick to put MSU ahead 1-0. Freshman forward Vallarelli scored at 40:15, good for her third goal of the season with the assist from Ashley Sykora. The Mavericks outshot Augustana, landing four shots on goal, compared to the Vikings three. Brianne West ended the game with three shots on goal, while Vallarelli earned two. Minnesota State beat Wayne State on Sunday 3-0 as forward Brittany Henry scored two goals in less than three minutes apart in the first half. Henry’s first goal came at 32:06, Sarah Schellinger was credited with the assist. Henry scored her second goal with a header off a corner kick in the 35th minute. Cassie Weik booted the corner kick which gave her the assist on the goal. Henry now leads the team in points with six goals and a assist on the season. Jessie Audas gave the Mavericks insurance as she scored her third goal of the year at 77:07. The Audas goal was assisted by fellow senior Emily Petrovich. MSU had 12 shots on goal in the day, while Wayne State ended the day with two shots on goal. Brittany Cygan and Chelsey Eley split time this weekend, helping the Maverick earn two shutout wins. Cygan played the first half against the Vikings, while Eley played the second half. The two flip flopped for the second game against Wayne State as Eley started and Cygan came in the second half. The goalkeepers each earned a win and combined for eight saves in the MSU victories. Cygan holds an impressive .864 save percentage this season, while Eley has 1.52 goals against average.

About Minnesota, Crookston: The Golden Eagles are currently 1-9-2 this season, with a 1-6-0 record in the NSIC. Minnesota Crookston has scored only five goals this season, giving up 36 and have been shutout eight times this season. They are led by Brittany Taylor, who has two goals and Jessica Goodrich, who holds one goal and two assists. Anna Ogaard is the goalkeeper for the Golden Eagles and has put up a .776 save percentage. Minnesota, Crookston is coming off a 2-1 victory over MSU Moorhead. The Golden Eagles are coached by Richard Jones.

MSU/Minnesota, Crookston History: The Mavericks own the all-time series 3-0, outscoring the Golden Eagles 23-1. Minnesota state has scored at least seven goals every time they have faced Minnesota, Crookston. The last time the two teams met was in 2009, when MSU won 8-1.

About MSU Moorhead: The Dragons come into the match 0-10-1 overall. MSU Moorhead is 0-6-1 in the conference. The Dragons have scored five goals this season and have given up 27. They are led by Tricia Vanyo and Aimee Laurencelle, who each have two goals this season. Allison Wanner tends the nets for the Dragons, she owns a 1.94 goals against average and a .783 save percentage. MSU moorhead has been shutout seven times this season and has scored only two goals in its last nine games.

MSU/MSU Moorhead History:  The Mavericks own the all-time series 6-2-0, outscoring the Dragons 26-7 in those matches. MSU has won the last five matches, including a 8-0 victory last year. The last time MSU Moorhead won was in 1997, where it beat Minnesota State 2-1. The Mavericks have shutout the Dragons the last three times they've played, outscoring them 14-0 in that stretch.

Seniors, Seniors: This year’s senior class is smaller than it has been in previous years, but it does not lack in the leadership department. Leading the way for the Mavericks is senior forward Laura Leber (Council Bluffs, Iowa), an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District V First Team Member and a NSIC All-Conference First Team member. Leber is tied in third on the MSU all-time goals list with 36, and sits fourth in points with 83. If Leber has the same type of season as last year (11 goals, 25 points) she could move up to second in goals and third in points, in the MSU history. With a team filled with youth, the Mavericks look toward their four seniors for leadership in the 2010 season. Joining Leber at forward is Ann Kincaid, who had six goals last season. Two Omaha, Neb., natives, midfielder Jessie Audas and defender Emily Petrovich, give experience to the Mavericks with each playing in over 60 matches in their career.

The fresh-o-more offense: The Maverick underclassmen are leading the offense for the team this season. Sophomores Nicole Dooher and Brittany Henry along with Freshmen Courtney Vallarelli, Cassie Weik,  Ashley Sykora and Tori Meinhardt own 17 of the 22 MSU goals this season. Seniors Laura Leber and Jessie Audas are the only upperclassmen  to score goals this seasson.

Some defensive love: Goaltenders Brittany Cygan and Chelsey Eley along with the back line of defenders Marissa Santana and Emily Petrovich have provided solid defense for the Mavericks, holding a 1.25 goals against average. The group allows and average of only 11.6 shots per game. Minnesota State has allowed one goal in the last four games.

Third times a charm: The 2010 season marks the third year all three coaches have been on the sidelines together. Besides Peter McGahey, Gretta Arvesen and Stephanie Swanson have helped guide the Mavericks to the NCAA tournament every year since since they started in 2008.

NCAA Appearances: The Mavericks have made five appearances in the NCAA tournament (2003, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009).