MANKATO, Minn. -- The No. 3 Minnesota State women's soccer team will conclude their regular season schedule when they take on the St. Cloud State Huskies on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud.
The Mavericks are 14-1-2 on the season and 11-1-2 in the NSIC after a 1-0-1 weekend. They are currently tied for first place in the NSIC and a win on Thursday would guarantee them a spot as co-champions or outright champions of the NSIC.
Last Friday against Wayne State it was a back-and-forth game as it took just one goal for the Mavericks to come away with the win. Amara Smith was able to draw a foul in the box and was awarded a penalty kick which she did not miss; the Wildcat goalkeeper dove left while Smith's shot went right. Lauren McAlpine would make four saves en route to her 14th shutout of the season in the 1-0 win. The win guaranteed that MSU would host their first game of the NSIC Tournament.
On Sunday against Augustana, Smith would open the scoring in the 22nd minute. It was her 11th goal of the season and marked the sixth straight match that she has found the back of the net. The Vikings would respond five minutes later as the half would conclude 1-1. Augustana would then take a 2-1 lead in the 70th minute before Reese Hilsenbeck tied it with just over four minutes left to play. The Mavericks got a few solid looks in the closing minutes but were unable to score as the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
Scouting St. Cloud State:
The Huskies are 9-5-3 this season and 8-4-2 in the NSIC under first year head coach Maggie Sherman. Last weekend they went 1-1 losing to Augustana and winning against Wayne State. Cady Compton and Linsey Trapino scored against the Vikings in the 3-2 loss, while Trapino scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win against Wayne State. Zoe Fujino made three saves against the Wildcats in the shutout.
Trapino has been one of the most productive players in the NSIC. She has scored 11 goals this season, which is tied with Amara Smith for the third most in the NSIC, while she is fourth in points with 25. Darby Allen leads the conference in assists with eight while also adding a goal for 10 total points. Laney Haviland has also been an offensive weapon, placing second on the Huskies in goals with four.
Fujino and Jaylee Strickland have split time in net this season, each starting at least seven games. Strickland has played more and has a 3-3-3 record with a 1.29 GAA, .761 save percentage and three shutouts. Fujino has started 7 games, posting a 5-2 record with a 1.07 GAA, .784 save percentage and four shutouts, including the one she recorded against Wayne State. The Huskies have used both goaltenders effectively to back an overall strong defensive unit.
All-Time vs. The Huskies:
The Mavericks are 29-8-4 all-time versus the Huskies, but the matchups in recent years have been very tight. Last season the teams faced off twice, both in Mankato. The Huskies won the first match 1-0 before the Mavericks bounced back ten days later, winning a 2-1 game in double overtime in the NSIC Tournament Championship game. The last ten matches have seen the Mavericks have a 5-2-3 advantage. Matches have been consistently close over the last decade, since 2014 every game has been decided by one goal or resulted in a tie. The Mavericks are 11-2-3 on the road, last winning in St. Cloud in 2022.
