MANKATO, Minn. --- Rated No. 25 in the last edition of the United Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll, fourth-seeded Minnesota State (17-2-2) travels the NCAA Central Region Tournament in Warrensburg, Mo., this weekend to open play against fifth-seeded Oklahoma Baptist (13-5-1), Friday 10:00 a.m. at the at the South Recreation Complex at the University of Central Missouri.

In the other match, the No. 1 seed, #11 Central Missouri (17-3-1) takes on the No. 8 seed, Southwestern Oklahoma (13-6-1), Friday at 1:00 p.m. The winner of the two matches will play in the second round of the tournament on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 1:00 p.m.


NSIC Tournament: The Mavericks claimed their fifth consecutive and ninth overall NSIC Tournament crown with a 4-2 victory over top-seed Bemidji State, last Sunday in Bemidji, Minn. Prior to that match, MSU defeated Augustana 4-0, last Friday in Bemidji, in the conference tournament semifinals to advance to the championship game. In the first round, the Mavericks overcame the Marauders for a 1-0 win at The Pitch to open the conference tournament on Nov. 10.

The Mavericks, who collected an automatic qualifier into the NCAA DII Tournament, will be making their 10th consecutive and 15th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament. MSU enters the tournament riding a 16-game unbeaten streak with 12 shutouts during that span.


Facing Fifth-Seed Oklahoma Baptist: Friday will mark the first-ever meeting between fourth-seed Minnesota State and fifth-seed Oklahoma Baptist.


Facing First-Seed #11 Central Missouri: The Mavericks are 6-8-2 all-time in matches vs. the Jennies. Earlier this season, MSU traveled to UCM and led the Jennies 2-0 after the first half before falling 4-3. The Mavericks and Jennies last meeting in the NCAA Tournament came in 2019 with MSU knocked UCM out of the tournament in the Central Region Final with a 3-0 victory at Scheels Field in the Maverick All-Sports Dome at MSU. 


Facing Eighth-Seed Southwestern Oklahoma State: MSU and SWOSU share three meetings in program history. The Mavericks own a 2-0-1 record against the Bulldogs all-time. Last time out in 2017, the second-seed Mavericks garnered a bye in the first-round of the NCAA Central Region Tournament before hosting the sixth-seed Bulldogs. The match ended in a 1-1 draw with SWOSU winning the penalty-kick shootout, 4-2, to advance in the NCAA Tournament.


Our History: The 2021 season marks Minnesota State's 27th year playing women's soccer. The Mavericks are 369-126-39 (.728) in 534 contests since their inception as a varsity sport in 1995. Minnesota State is in its 13th season as members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and owns a 155-19-13 (.873) record in 185 games.

Over the course of its history, MSU has claimed 10 regular-season conference championships, including five North Central Conference championships and five NSIC championships. The Mavericks have also won nine NSIC Tournament championships (2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) in 13 years of existence in the NSIC and have now crowned themselves as the champion of the tournament five consecutive times. Minnesota State will make its 10th straight appearance and 15th overall in the NCAA Tournament this weekend when it takes on fifth-seed Oklahoma Baptist in the NCAA Central Region Tournament in Warrensburg, Mo. MSU owns a 10-11-5 overall record in NCAA postseason play.


All-Conference Honors: Seven Maverick soccer players were named to the 2021 NSIC Soccer All-Conference Teams and junior forward Jenny Vetter was selected as NSIC Offensive Player of the Year, as announced by conference officials Thursday.

Vetter and junior midfielder Brynn Desens were named to the first team, while junior midfielder Nadia Lowery, junior defender Kelly Friedrich, sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Rath, sophomore defender Libby Spangler and freshman forward Maille Mathis were named to the second team.


All-Tournament Team: The NSIC announced Maille Mathis as the 2021 NSIC Tournament Most Valuable Player on Sunday while Jenny Vetter, Allie Williams, Mackenzie Rath and Kelly Friedrich each collected All-Tournament Team honors.


Doesn't Get Vetter Than This: Junior forward Jenny Vetter is the Mavericks' leading scorer in goals and points this season with a scoring line of 17-4--38 in 21 matches. Now with 19 career game-winning goals after scoring in overtime against Sioux Falls (Oct. 29), Vetter sits tied for first at MSU all-time in game-winners with Korey Kronforst (2012-15) and is fourth in NCAA DII this season with seven game-deciding goals. Vetter is also fourth on MSU's all-time scoring list with 43 goals in her Maverick career. She also stands at seventh with 97 career points (43-14--100) in 69 matches at Minnesota State.


Feel the Rath: Sophomore Mackenzie Rath picked up her 11th career shutout in the semifinal-round of the NSIC Tournament in the Mavericks' 4-0 victory over the Vikings where she made four saves in the match. Rath has earned NSIC Goalkeeper of the Week twice this season (Oct. 11 and Oct. 25) and has played the most minutes out of any other goalkeeper on the Maverick roster with 1,373:34 under her belt. Rath now sports a 12-1-2 record which is backed by the NSIC's best save percentage (.913 - 3rd in NCAA DII) and goals-against average (.393 - 6th in NCAA DII).

As a unit, the Mavericks' goalkeeping corps, comprised of Rath and a pair of freshmen in Clare Longueville and Ava Blackney, was the best in the conference with 14 total shutouts this season for a shutout percentage of .667 that ranked first in the NSIC and currently stands at seventh in the nation. MSU also owned the NSIC's best save percentage (.880) and goals-against average (.559) in the conference.


Marvelous Mathis: Freshman forward Maille Mathis leads Maverick rookies with 17 points this season which ranks second on the team in scoring overall. In 21 matches, Mathis has made five starts and is second on the team in assists with five. She also stands tied for second on the team with six goals this season after scoring a pair of goals in the NSIC Championship, last Sunday, which matched a single-game career high that she set three weeks prior (Oct. 31) in a match against Southwest Minnesota State. The Mavericks ended up winning that match 2-0. As a result, Mathis was named 2021 NSIC Tournament Most Valuable Player for her efforts in the week-long tournament.


Bahlling Out: With the Mavericks' 2-0 victory over SMSU, Oct. 31 at The Pitch, head coach Brian Bahl now stands alone as the MSU's all-time winningest soccer coach after passing former head coach Chris Miskec (142 victories from 1996-07). He owns a 146-20-14 record all-time at the helm of the Mavericks.


Looking Ahead: The winners of the first round of the NCAA Central Region Tournament go head-to-head in the regional semifinal on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 1:00 p.m. at the South Recreation Complex at the University of Central Missouri.

Competing in the other side of the central bracket is second-seeded Emporia State (18-2-0) who is hosting the other half of the tournament in Emporia, Kan., third-seeded Bemidji State (18-1-2), sixth-seeded Central Oklahoma (13-5-2) and seventh-seeded Northwest Missouri State (13-6-1). 
 

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