What's On Tap: Sixth-ranked Minnesota State (15-2-1, 13-1-1 NSIC) enters this week's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament as the top-seed and will seek its second NSIC tournament crown in the last three years. The Mavericks host eighth-seeded Minot State (7-7-3, 7-6-2 NSIC) Wednesday at 1 p.m. in first round action and will host the NSIC semi-finals and championship match Friday and Sunday if they can get by the Beavers.
 
MSU claimed its second straight NSIC regular-season championship last weekend and enters this week riding a 34-match home unbeaten streak, the 13th-longest in NCAA Division II history.
 
Looking Back at Last Week: MSU claimed its second straight NSIC regular-season title last Friday by way of a 3-0 home victory over Upper Iowa. The contest was scoreless after 45 minutes, but the Mavericks exploded for three second-half goals to secure the win. Junior Emily Moris (Woodbury, Minn.) played a perfect corner kick in the 55th minute that junior Sydney Temple (Madison, Wis.) headed in for her first goal of the year; before Moris extended the cushion to two goals in the 76th minute with a laser from 25 yards out that found twine on the left side. Sophomore Korey Kronforst (Cary, Ill.) continued her sensational season by cementing the victory with her 17th goal of the year in the 80th minute.
 
The Purple and Gold's NSIC record 34-match league unbeaten streak came to an end last Sunday as MSU was clipped 1-0 at Winona State despite outshooting the Warriors 14-12. Junior Molly McGough (Centennial, Colo.) recorded six saves, but WSU's Alaina Kne netted the match's decisive goal by tapping a cross in at the 37th minute.

Tested but Not Bested: MSU stands 2-2-0 against teams in this week's NSCAA national top-25. The Mavericks defeated No. 20 Truman State 1-0 on Sept.6 and No. 12 Central Missouri 3-0 on Sept. 8; but suffered a 2-0 defeat to No. 1 Grand Valley State back on Sept. 15 and a 1-0 loss at No. 19 Winona State last Sunday.
 
Scouting the Beavers: Minot State finished eighth in the NSIC with a 7-7-3 overall record and 7-6-2 league mark. MISU has gone 6-2-1 since suffering a 1-0 OT loss at Minnesota State back on Oct. 4. The Beavers knocked off Northern State and MSU-Moorhead by scores of 1-0 and 2-0, respectively, a week ago to claim the final spot in the conference tournament. Minot State ended the regular-season 11th in the conference in goals per game (1.00) while posting the seventh-best goals against average (1.05) in the league. MISU has been outscored 19-17 by its counterparts this season.
 
MISU is under the guidance of fourth-year head coach Jason Spain who owns a 42-26-9 record with the Beavers and led MISU to a NSIC Tournament Championship as well as an NCAA Division II National Tournament berth in 2012. Junior Zoe Fisher (Fwd., 5-6, Cambridgeshire, England) has paced the Beavers in assists and points in addition to ranking second in goals with 3-5--11 to date. Sophomore Emilie Rebelo (Mid., 5-8, Sacramento, Calif.) leads MISU in shots with 49 and has posted 4-2--10 this season to tie for first on the squad in goals and second in points. Fellow sophomore Gemma Biasetto (GK, 6-0, Albuquerque, N.M.) has made 13 starts between the pipes and registered a 1.28 goals against average with a .817 save percentage this season.
 
Inside the MSU vs. MISU Series: Minnesota State stands 2-0-1 all-time against Minot State in a tightly contested series that began just last season. MSU defeated the Beavers 1-0 in overtime back on Oct. 4, but MISU battled to a 1-1 draw in last year's NSIC tournament before claiming a 3-2 shootout victory en route to winning the NSIC tournament title. The Mavericks have outscored Minot State 4-1 in the programs' three meetings.
 
Scouting the Rest of the Field: The NSIC tournament will feature three other first round match-ups this Wednesday with the highest remaining seed hosting the semi-finals and championship match this Friday and Sunday.
 
No. 2 Winona State (14-2-2, 13-2-0 NSIC) entertains No. 7 Augustana (10-7-1, 8-6-1 NSIC) at 4 p.m. in Winona. The two teams last met on Oct. 27 with the Warriors claiming a 3-1 home victory.
 
No. 3 Minnesota Duluth (13-4-0, 12-3-0 NSIC) hosts No. 6 Bemidji State (12-6-0, 9-6-0 NSIC) at 5 p.m. with BSU claiming a 1-0 win the two teams' only meeting just last Friday.
 
No. 4 Upper Iowa (14-4-0, 12-3-0 NSIC) will tangle with No. 5 Southwest Minn. State (14-2-2, 11-2-2 NSIC) in Fayette at 1 p.m. SMSU edged UIU 1-0 back on Oct. 12 in Marshall.
 
Program History: The 2013 season marks the 19th year of women's soccer as a varsity sport at Minnesota State. MSU claimed its second NSIC regular-season championship (2012, 2013) last Friday after capturing NCC regular-season crowns in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2007.  The Mavericks currently boast a 238-107-26 (.677) all-time record in 371 matches and a 64-10-8 (.829) all-time mark in 82 matches and six seasons in the NSIC. The Purple and Gold have made seven appearances in the NCAA tournament, including two in a row (2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012). MSU has posted 15 consecutive winning seasons dating back to 1998, which ties for the ninth longest streak in NCAA Division II history.

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