MANKATO, Minn. – No. 3 Minnesota State (16-1-2, 13-1-1 NSIC) will host Concordia-St. Paul (12-3-4, 9-3-3 NSIC) in the NSIC Tournament Semifinals on Friday at 1 p.m. at The Pitch. The Mavericks will also host the first semifinal match between St. Cloud State and Bemidji State at 10 a.m.

Minnesota State advanced to the semifinals following a 2-1 quarterfinal win over UMary.

The Mavericks wasted no time setting the tone, striking early in the second minute when Courtney Kovacs netted the opening goal, assisted by Avery Korsching and Maille Mathis. Just three minutes later, Mathis added to the lead with a goal of her own, assisted by Maddix Archer, to make it 2-0.

Minnesota State continued to apply offensive pressure throughout the first half, with opportunities from Kiera Laney and Amara Smith, but UMary goalkeeper Kadyn Dilger made multiple saves to keep the score close. On the other end, Lauren McAlpine made key stops to preserve the Mavericks' lead heading into halftime.
UMary narrowed the gap in the 70th minute when Dina Polanco found the back of the net, cutting the Mavericks' lead to 2-1. Despite several late pushes from the Marauders, McAlpine stood tall with six saves on the day to secure the win.

Mathis finished with a goal and an assist, while Archer recorded an assist and four shots. Smith added four shots on goal as the Mavericks improved to 16-1-2 on the season.

Facing Concordia-St. Paul:

Minnesota State holds a 23-2-1 all-time record against Concordia-St. Paul. Earlier this season, the Mavericks edged the Golden Bears 1-0. Junior Sophia Haase leads CSP with nine goals and two assists (20 points), while goalkeeper Sydney Potter anchors the defense with a .840 save percentage and a 0.54 goals-against average.

What's Ahead:

The winner between Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul will face the winner of the St. Cloud State vs. Bemidji State matchup in Sunday's NSIC Championship, set for 1 p.m. at The Pitch. Minnesota State enters the semifinal as the No. 1 seed in the NSIC Tournament and is ranked No. 3 nationally by United Soccer Coaches.

All games will be streamed on the NSIC Network