Mankato, Minn. --- The No. 13 Minnesota State soccer team will play No. 20 Concordia-St. Paul in the last regular season match of the 2019 season. The Mavericks and Golden Bears are currently first and second in the NSIC standings and the winner will determine who is crowned regular season champions The match will begin at 1:00 p.m., with Senior Day festivities being prior to the match at The Pitch at 12:00 p.m..

Looking Back at Last Week: The Mavericks swept last weekend's matches and now have a record of 15-2-0 (12-2-0 NSIC), good for first place in the conference standings. MSU defeated Augustana 2-1 and then shutout Wayne State 4-0.
 
In the first match, the Mavericks scored first in the third minute of the game when sophomore Nadia Lowery scored on a ball that was sent in and redirected by freshman Abby Begin, who was credited with the assist. The Mavericks would extend their lead to 2-0 in the 15th minute when sophomore Jenny Vetter took a long pass from Lowery and buried it in the lower right corner. The Vikings got on the board in the 21st minute when senior Grace Behm scored with a shot to the upper right.

In the second match, Minnesota State used the corner kicks to their advantage in the first half, scoring the first two goals off set pieces. Senior Bri Ciaccio was the beneficiary on both occasions, using her head on both goals in the 13th and 24th minute for her fourth and fifth goals of the season. Freshman Tia Martin scored the third goal in the first half after beating the goalkeeper to the high left corner for her second goal of the season in the 37th minute. Freshman Shelby Lund received the ball deep in the box and chipped it past the goalkeeper for her first career goal at Minnesota State in the 89th minute.

Senior Alexa Rabune (13-1) gained both wins on the weekend and had one save. Freshman Mackenzie Rath finished the combined shutout against WSC, collecting two saves.

NSIC Reglar Season Title: Minnesota State currently sits on top of the NSIC standings for the first time since Sept. 29, by one conference point. The Mavericks will play Concordia-St. Paul, who sits behind them, for the NSIC regular season crown on Friday. Augustana is also in the mix for a share of the title, sitting two points behind, in third place.
 
Central Region Rankings: In the first edition of the Central Region Rankings last week, the Mavericks were in third behind Central Missouri and Concordia-St. Paul. This week in the second edition, MSU moved up to the second spot, jumping CSP.

Single Season Record: By scoring the game-winning goal in the 2-1 win over Augustana, Jenny Vetter now has scored the most game-winning goals in a season in MSU history. The nine game winners are also the most in NCAA DII to date. 

Vetter also jumped into the top 10 in goals and points in a single season at 10th with 15 goals and 37 points, then at sixth win 91 shots. Sophomore Brynn Desens also has jumped into the top 10 for assists in a single season with the eighth most at 11. Freshman Allie Williams has enjoyed a strong rookie season for the Mavericks, currently having the eighth most points in a single season at 21. 
 
Winning Streaks: The Mavericks have two separate winning streaks this season that are split up by the only two losses. From Sept. 8-27, MSU had a six match winning streak and currently the Mavericks have won nine in a row dating back to Oct. 6. The longest winning streak prior to the current nine games was the longest in MSU history during the 2014 season when the Mavericks won their first 22 matches before falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

NSIC Statistics: The Mavericks have proved to be an offensive force in the NSIC all season, leading the way in multiple categories. MSU has scored 3.29 goals per game, collected 3.00 assists per game, posted 9.59 points per game and have had 22.24 shots per game to lead the conference. Defensively MSU ranks third by having a 0.868 save percentage, a 0.573 goals-against average and posting 10 shutouts on the season.

Individually, the Mavericks also lead the conference in many categories. Jenny Vetter sits on top with 15 goals, 37 points, 91 shots and nine game-winning goals. Brynn Desens currently leads the conference with 11 assists this season. In net, Alexa Rabune has the second-best save percentage at 0.883 and the third-best goals against average at 0.506.

NCAA Statistics: Minnesota State also has one of the best offensive attacks in NCAA DII. The Mavericks collect the fifth most assists per game, then the seventh most goals and points per game. As a team, MSU also has the 12th best won-loss percentage at 0.882.

The Mavericks also have multiple players in the top 20 in multiple categories in NCAA DII. Jenny Vetter has the most game-winning goals in the country, then the 13th most goals and points. Brynn Desens has collected the fourth most assists in NCAA DII ti date. Then, Alexa Rabune has the 16th best save percentage and the 20th best goals-against average.

NSIC Tournament: Minnesota State has locked in a guaranteed first round home match next week on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Scouting Concordia-St. Paul: The No. 20 Golden Bears have a 14-1-2 (11-1-2 NSIC) record in the 2019 season and sit second in the conference. Last weekend CSP defeated Wayne State 1-0 before being upended by Agustana 3-2.

Senior Hannah Pederson leads the Golden Bears in points on the season with 23 by scoring six goals and collecting 11 assists. Senior Jordyn Clark has started all 17 matches for Concordia-St. Paul, going 14-1-2 with a 0.47 goals-against average, .873 save percentage, 55 saves and 10 shutouts.

Facing Concordia-St. Paul: The Mavericks have an undefeated 17-0-0 record against the Golden Bears all-time. Minnesota State won both matches last season, 3-1 in the regular season and 4-0 in the tournament.

Looking Ahead: The Mavericks will turn their attention to the NSIC Tournament next week from Nov. 13-17. MSU will wait for its opponents in the first home match on Wednesday until all the regular season matches are finished.