Mankato, Minn. --- The Minnesota State soccer team pushed the envelope early in the match vs. the Marauders of U-Mary, taking 14 shot attempts in the first half compared to U-Mary's five.

With the win, Minnesota State moves its increases its record to 10-1-1 on the season and 8-0-1 in the Northern Sun. After the match, U-Mary's record moves to 1-9-1 on the season and 1-8-0, against NSIC competition.

The No. 6 rated Mavericks came out of the gates hot Sunday afternoon, scoring just 5:36 into the game when senior Emily Erickson (Woodbury, Minn.) chipped a pass up to junior Kiana Nickel (Wayzata, Minn.) on the right side. Nickel then feathered the ball across to the middle of the slot, where sophomore Lexi Pszanka (Rapid City, S.D.) was able to bury it home for her first marker of the season. Minnesota State was able to keep peppering Marauder goalkeeper Bailey Wenz, as freshman Julia Zach (Oconomowoc, Wis.) fired a shot to the top left of the goal, off of an initial pass from sophomore Jenny Hoerter (Stevens Point, Wis.) at 38:22, to close out the first have with MSU taking a 2-0 lead.

At the end of the first half, Minnesota State's defense had allowed only one shot on goal, as senior goalkeeper Lauren Hoeppner (Lakeville, Minn.) recorded just one save through the first 45 minutes. The shots on goal favored the Mavericks as they tallied seven in the first half, as well as having a lead in corner kicks by a margin of 4-2.

The second half of action played to the same tune as the first as the Mavericks were able to put four more shots on net. Out of the four, as MSU was able to capitalize on one, for the third and final goal of the match. In the 84th minute of the game, freshman Marisa Berutti (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) played a ball up into a busy Marauder box where junior Karissa Prpich (Rapid City, S.D.) got loose and punched the ball home for her first goal of 2015.

When it was all said and done, Minnesota State held an advantage in shot attempts (28-7), shots on goal (11-2), and corner kicks (4-2). The final foul count read MSU with six and U-Mary with two. Hoeppner recorded two saves throughout the match while Wenz tallied eight. Both team also had four player each that recorded 90 minutes of playing time. For Minnesota State Hoeppner along with junior Sidni Trotter (Omaha, Neb.), sophomore Abby Nordeen (Huntley, Ill.), and freshman Jaden Vogelgesang (Cottage Grove, Minn.) did not come out of the game for Minnesota State. Likewise for Wenz, Emily Christensen, Elizabeth Patterson, and Caitlin Dooley on the Marauder side of the field.

Hoeppner moves her record to 10-1-1 on the season after the victory, picking up her sixth shutout. With two saves in the game, the Lakeville, Minn. native has now saved the last 28 of 30 shots she has faced.

MSU's next contests will take place in Wayne, Neb. and Sioux Falls, S.D. as the Mavericks take on the Wildcats of Wayne State and the Vikings of Augustana, October 17-18. Both matches are scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start.