MANKATO, Minn. – The No. 8 Minnesota State women's soccer team returns to The Pitch this weekend as they take on Sioux Falls on Friday at 3:00 p.m., and SMSU on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. They look to continue an impressive six game shutout streak.

The Mavericks (6-0-1, 3-0-1 NSIC) are coming off the back of a 1-0-1 NSIC road trip. Last Friday they controlled the entirety of the match against Jamestown for a 2-0 win, getting goals from Reese Hilsenbeck and Julia Fischer. Then on Sunday the Mavericks took on Northern State in a 0-0 defensive battle that saw few scoring chances. The Mavericks had a penalty kick early in the first half but could not convert. In the 81st minute the Wolves also had a penalty kick but a diving Lauren McAlpine save kept the game knotted at 0.

With last weekends performance the Mavericks extended their shutout streak to six games having allowed just one goal this season. The shutout streak is part of a 581-minute stretch in which the Mavericks have not conceded a goal.

Scouting Sioux Falls:

The Cougars are 3-2-2 this season and 1-1-2 in NSIC play. Last weekend they scored their first NSIC win of the season, beating Minnesota Crookston 1-0 with a 79th minute goal from Abby Flanagan. They also faced MSU Moorhead and played them to a 1-1 tie for a 1-0-1 overall weekend.

Leading the offensive attack for the Cougars is Chloe Wilson and Addison Van Zee. They are tied for the team lead in goals with two while Wilson has chipped in an assist. Van Zee leads the team in shots and shots on goal with 19 and 9 respectively.

Sioux Falls has started three different goalkeepers this season with Delani Daubman playing the most minutes, she is 2-1 on the season with a.917 save percentage, 0.57 goals against average, and 22 total saves. Morgan Jost has also performed well racking up 15 saves with a 0-0-2 record.

The all-time series has been one sided as the Mavericks are 15-0 all-time against the Cougars. The Mavericks are averaging 4.2 goals a match during the series and are 8-0 at The Pitch. Last season MSU blanked Sioux Falls 3-0 on the road, behind goals from Maddix Archer and Marin Johnson. The last match at The Pitch was a 3-0 win for the Mavericks.

Scouting SMSU:

The Mustangs are 1-4-2 and 1-2-1 in NSIC play so far this season. They captured their first NSIC win last weekend with a 2-0 shutout of MSU Moorhead, as Jada Backes scored both goals just two minutes apart. They also played to a scoreless draw against Minnesota Crookston, completing a 1-0-1 weekend with two shutouts.

Backes has led the offensive charge for the Mustangs, leading the team in goals with two, and points with five. She has 19 shots, with eight of them being on net. Illjana Arbaugh and Abigail Schmidt have been the other two goal scorers so far, chipping in a goal apiece.

Madelyn Cory has been the main netminder this season, she has 29 saves with a .763 save percentage and 1.88 goals against average. Cory has a 1-3-1 record and tallied both shutouts last weekend.

The Mavericks are 24-1-1 all-time in the series and are currently riding an eleven-game winning streak dating back to 2013. During their matchups MSU is averaging 4.31 goals per game and they have only allowed seven goals. Last season the Mavericks got goals from Mila Rustin and Archer in a 2-0 win in Marshall. The last time the series was at The Pitch was in 2023 where the Mavericks won 3-0.

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