What's On Tap: A week after picking up two conference wins in northern Minnesota the sixth-ranked Minnesota State soccer team heads to the Dakotas this weekend to wrap up a six-match road trip. MSU continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday at MSU-Moorhead (12 p.m.) before battling Northern State (1 p.m.) Sunday afternoon.
 
Minnesota State will carry a 23-match NSIC unbeaten streak into this weekend's action and rolled over both MSU-Moorhead and Northern State a year ago collecting a pair of 6-0 victories over the Dragons and Wolves respectively.
 
Looking Back at Last Week: The Purple and Gold knocked off a previously undefeated Bemidji State squad, 3-1,  last Saturday behind three unanswered goals from three different Mavericks. Senior Courtney Vallarelli (Eagan, Minn.) opened the scoring with her team-leading third marker of the year, before junior Emily Moris (Woodbury, Minn.) joined the act with her first goal of 2013 and sophomore Korey Kronforst (Cary, Ill.) capped the win with her second of the year.
 
Sunday's 3-1 victory over Minnesota, Crookston was much of the same as a trio of different Mavericks scored the three MSU goals. Freshman Maddy Smith (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) opened the barrage with her first career goal as sophomore Emily Erickson (Woodbury, Minn.) earned her first career point on the play. Junior transfer Rebecca Pederson (Waconia, Minn.) followed that with her first goal in the Purple and Gold before senior Tori Meinhardt (Maple Grove, Minn.) got on the board with her first goal of the year.
 
Spreading the Wealth: Minnesota State had six different goal scorers and nine different point scorers this past weekend against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. The nine point scorers were made up of two freshman, two sophomores, three juniors and two seniors.
 
Tested but Not Bested: MSU stands 2-1-0 against teams in this week's NSCAA national top-25. The Mavericks defeated No. 21 Truman State 1-0 on Sept.6 and No. 14 Central Missouri 3-0 on Sept. 8; but suffered a 2-0 defeat to No. 1 Grand Valley State back on Sept. 15.
 
Scouting the Dragons: MSU-Moorhead sits 0-5-0 and 0-2-0 in NSIC play this season. The Dragons suffered a pair of road losses in league play a week ago falling to Augustana, 6-1, and Wayne State, 1-0. MSUM has been outscored 12-2 this year while tying for 14th in the conference in goals and 13th in goals allowed.
 
Head coach Rollie Bulock is in his 15th season guiding the Dragon soccer program and has compiled a 105-181-16 career ledger. Junior Stephanie Lindo (Mid., 5-3, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) leads MSUM with three points this season off a goal and an assist. Sophomore Ashley Leintz (GK, 5-10, Bismarck, N.D.) has posted a 1.19 goals against average and a .902 save percentage with 37 saves in three starts for the Dragons.
 
Inside the MSU vs. MSUM Series: Minnesota State stands 9-2-0 all-time against Minnesota State-Moorhead in a series dating back to 1995. MSU dropped the Dragons 6-0 a year ago and has outscored MSUM a combined 38-7 in the programs' 11 meetings.
 
Scouting the Wolves:  Northern State is off to one of the best starts in program history as it has compiled a 5-1-0 overall record and 2-1-0 mark in the NSIC, good for a fifth-place tie. NSU dropped Wayne State 5-3 last Saturday before being handed its first defeat last Sunday courtesy of Augustana by a margin of 3-1.
 
Wolves' head coach Steve Kehm is in his 16th year at the helm of the NSU program and owns a 155-101-34 all-time record; in addition to producing 47 All-NSIC performers and three league MVPs. This year NSU has been led offensively by sophomore Allie Macdonald (So., 5-6, Hartford, S.D.) who has fired a team-high 12 shots on goal and is tied for the team-lead with three goals and six points. Sophomore Brittany Tietz (GK, 5-8, Aberdeen, S.D.) has started all six matches in net for NSU and posted a 1.46 goals against average and .795 save percentage.
 
Inside the MSU vs. NSU Series: The Mavericks stand 6-1-1 all-time against Northern State in a series dating back to 2004. MSU dropped the Wolves 6-0 at home last year and have outscored NSU a combined 18-3 all-time.
 
Program History: The 2013 season marks the 19th year of women's soccer as a varsity sport at Minnesota State. MSU claimed its first NSIC regular-season championship last year after capturing NCC regular-season crowns in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2007.  The Mavericks currently boast a 228-106-25 (.670) all-time record in 359 matches and a 54-9-7 (.821) all-time mark in 70 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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