MANKATO, Minn. – The No. 3 Minnesota State Mavericks (2-0-1) hit the road once again this weekend for a pair of NSIC matchups. MSU will face the University of Mary (2-1) on Friday at 3 p.m. before taking on Minot State (0-3) on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Last weekend, the Mavericks battled No. 4 Grand Valley State in a defensive showdown. The first half was a grind, with both teams trading chances but unable to score. Senior defender Anna Van Wyngarden and goalkeeper Lauren McAlpine anchored the Maverick back line, holding off multiple Laker attacks. McAlpine made a clutch save in the 24th minute and handled several dangerous crosses to keep things even at halftime.

In the second half, Grand Valley applied more pressure, but Minnesota State absorbed it and looked for opportunities in transition. The breakthrough came in the 71st minute, when sophomore forward Marin Johnson scored off a pass from Maille Mathis, securing a 1-0 win for the Mavericks. McAlpine recorded her third shutout of the season and continues to hold a perfect 1.000 save percentage.

Facing the Marauders

Minnesota State owns a 16-1-4 all-time record against UMary. The most recent meeting came in last year's NSIC Tournament semifinal, when the Mavericks edged the Marauders in a dramatic 5-3 shootout to advance to the championship. McAlpine stopped UMary's third attempt in that shootout to help seal the win.

UMary enters this weekend with a 2-1 record, including wins over Montana State Billings and Washburn. Freshman forward Dina Polanco has been the offensive spark, scoring three goals with an .800 shot-on-goal percentage. In net, sophomore goalkeeper Kadyn Dilger owns a 1.00 goals-against average and a .769 save percentage.

Facing the Beavers

The Mavericks hold an 11-1-6 all-time record against Minot State. Their last meeting came in the 2023 NSIC Championship, where Minnesota State earned a 2-0 victory.

The Beavers are still searching for their first win of 2025 after losses to Regis, Concordia–St. Paul, and Montana State Billings. Offensively, juniors Keilani Broadnax and Brittney Egbert lead the way, each recording one goal. Defensively, sophomore goalkeeper Rebecca Sargent has posted a .667 save percentage with a 2.00 goals-against average.

Fans can catch both matches this weekend live on the NSIC Network.