MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State soccer team opens its Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference slate this weekend with matches, Friday, at Wayne State before heading to Augustana, Sunday.
Last Time Out: The Mavericks own a 2-1 overall record following their road trip to Missouri last weekend where they dropped a match to #7 Central Missouri 4-3, last Friday, before winning 1-0 vs. Northwest Missouri State, Sunday.
On Friday, the Mavericks grabbed a 2-0 lead by halftime before the Jennies rallied off four goals with only one answer from MSU in the second half. Despite the loss, junior forward Brynn Desens had a big game offensively scoring one goal and assisting on one other for a three-point evening in which she took five shots.
Sunday saw the Mavericks shutout the Bearcats 1-0. Junior forward Jenny Vetter scored her 13th career game-winning goal (fourth all-time at MSU) in the 76th minute on a free kick. That's all MSU would need in terms of scoring as sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Rath stood tall to earn her second collegiate clean sheet in the victory, logging five saves in the match.
Top Returner: Junior forward Jenny Vetter is the Mavericks' top-returning scorer this season. The Mankato, Minn., native sports a career line of 64 points (27-10--64) in 35 matches during her time at Minnesota State. Back in 2019, Vetter led the Mavericks in goals (20), points (47), game-winning goals (10) and shots on net (70), all while concluding the season second on the team with seven assists.
Awards and honors Vetter earned for her efforts during the 2019 campaign included being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, being named to the USC All-American First Team the D2CCA All-American Second Team, the D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year, the NSIC Offensive Player of the Year and the NSIC Tournament MVP. Vetter was also named to the D2CCA All-Central Region First Team, the USC All-Central Region First Team, the CoSIDA All-District Team, the All-NSIC First Team, the NSIC All-Tournament Team and the NSIC Fall All-Academic Team.
Facing Wayne State: The Mavericks own a perfect 15-0 record vs. the Wayne State Wildcats in the all-time series that dates back to 1998. In the last meeting, MSU routed WSC on the road 4-0. Sophomore midfielders Shelby Lund and Tia Martin each had one goal in the match back on Nov. 3, 2019.
Scouting the Wildcats: Owning an 0-2-1 record this year, the Wildcats are in search of their first win of the season. In 2019, WSC finished with a 6-9-4 (6-7-2 NSIC) record and eighth in the NSIC standings.
In three matches, Megan Phillips is the Wildcats' go-to goal scorer. With two goals this season, Phillips leads the Wildcats with four points. In one match played, Katherine Hageman has 11 saves and a clean sheet to lead the goalkeepers.
Facing Augustana: In 30 all-time meetings between the Mavericks and Vikings, MSU holds a 28-2 advantage over AU. In the last match on Nov. 24, 2019, the Mavericks shutout the Vikings 1-0 to advance to the NCAA Central Region Championship. Junior forward Jenny Vetter scored the game-winning goal on an assist from junior forward Brynn Desens in the 57th minute.
Scouting the Vikings: The Vikings are 1-2 this season with one win, 1-0, over Nebraska Kearney last Sunday. In 2019, MSU eliminated AU from the NCAA Tournament in the second round. The Vikings finished the season 16-5-1 (12-2-1 NSIC) for a second-place finish in the NSIC standings.
Senior forward Alexis Legg and freshman midfielder Sierra Barkus each have one of AU's two goals this season to lead the Vikings with two points, respectively.
Our History: The 2021 season marks Minnesota State's 27th year playing women's soccer. The Mavericks are 354-125-37 (.721) in 516 contests since their inception as a varsity sport in 1995. Minnesota State concluded its 12th season in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2019 and owns a 143-18-11 (.831) record in 172 games during conference play.
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 eight NSIC Tournament championships in 12 years of existence in the NSIC. Minnesota State made its 14th appearance in the NCAA Tournament during their last official season back in 2019. MSU owns a 10-11-5 overall record in NCAA postseason play.
Looking Ahead: The Mavericks open their conference home schedule on Friday, Sept. 24 vs. Bemidji State before hosting Minnesota Crookston on Sunday, Sept. 26 at The Pitch.
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