MANKATO, Minn. --- No. 12 Minnesota State will host St. Cloud State University and Minnesota Duluth this weekend at The Pitch. The Mavericks take on the Huskies on Friday at 3 p.m. and the Bulldogs at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Last week, MSU battled University of Mary and Minot State going 1-0-1 on the weekend. Sophomore Anna Van Wyngarden provided the difference in Friday's game with her second goal of the season against the Marauders. Senior Allie Williams notched her third goal of the season to get the offense rolling on Sunday against Miont State. The Beavers responded just eight minutes later on a successful penalty kick to lock up the tie for Minot State. Minnesota State will head into this weekend with an overall record of 5-1-2.

Facing SCSU: Heading into the 37th matchup with St. Cloud State, the Mavericks are a dominant 27-7-2 in their last 36 matches against the Huskies. SCSU has gone 3-1-0 in non-conference play and 6-2-0 overall this season with their only loss on the season coming at the hands of the only other ranked NSIC program, No. 23 Bemidji State. Last season, the Huskies finished tenth in the 2022 NSIC standings with a 6-5-4 conference record and a 7-7-4 overall record. The Mavericks bested the Huskies last season 2-1 with goals from Brynn Desens and Jenny Vetter.

Scouting the Huskies: St. Cloud State's offense is led by junior Ariel Hawkey and sophomore Ellie Primerano who are tied for most points this season with seven. Hawkey leads the Huskies in goals with three while Primerano leads the team in assists with three. In goal, freshman Jaylee Strickland holds the line for the Huskies and has started all eight games. She owns a .778 save percentage and a 1.00 goals-against average for a 6-2-0 record.
  
Facing UMD: Heading into the 37th matchup with Minnesota Duluth, the Mavericks are 23-8-5 in their last 36 bouts with the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are 1-1-2 in conference play and own a 2-3-3 overall record. Last season, UMD finished ninth in the 2022 NSIC standings with a 7-5-3 conference record and an 8-7-3 overall record. The Mavericks tied the Bulldogs in their last outing by a final of 1-1 on October 9th, 2022. The Mavericks finished last season with the most ties (6) in program history.

Scouting the Bulldogs: The UMD offense is led by junior Anna Tobias. The Bulldog forward leads the NSIC in goals with five and is second in the conference in points with 10 through eight games. Tobias notched her first career hat trick against Minnesota Crookston on September 17th leading the Bulldogs to a 5-0 win in Duluth. In goal, senior Jennifer Norris has guarded the back line for the Bulldogs in all eight games this season. She owns a .821 save percentage and a 1.25 goals-against average for a 2-3-3 record.