THIS WEEK: Minot State begins its second year of collegiate women's soccer today and Saturday as they travel to San Bernardino, Calif. to participate in the Cal State San Bernardino Tournament. MSU plays Colorado Mesa University, formerly Mesa State, Thursday at 2 p.m. (PT) and battles Academy of Art University (Calif.) on Saturday at 4 p.m. (PT). Both teams are NCAA Division II foes.

TRADITION IN TRANSITION: Minot State is in its third season of a four-year transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. MSU advanced to Year Three Provisional status in July and is expected to complete the transition in July 2012. Minot State was selected to join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2012-13.

RECORDS: All three teams begin the season at the tournament.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's head coach Jason Spain is in his second season after starting the MSU women's soccer program last season. He is 9-7-3 overall. CMU's head coach Erin Sharpe 27-29-5 over her first four seasons. Aileen Nasypany is the head coach at Academy of Art and is 5-28-5 in two seasons.

ON THE AIR: The games can be accessed via California State University, San Bernardino's website at (http://www.ccaalivestats.com/bernardino/wsoc/xlive.htm).

RANKINGS: None of the three teams were ranked in the preseason NSCAA Women's Top 25 Poll.

RECENT HISTORY: MSU defeated both of its exhibition foes, topping the University of Winnipeg and Bismarck State College. This is the first matches for both CMU and Academy of Art.

OVERALL SERIES: This is the first meeting between Minot State and both schools.

NOTING THE MAVERICKS: Colorado Mesa University changed its name from Mesa State to CMU this summer… The Mavericks were picked seventh in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in the preseason coaching poll… Sam Burneo was the team's lone representative on the preseason All-RMAC team… CMU was limited to just 17 goals in 18 games, but held its opponents to just 18 on the season.

NOTING THE URBAN KNIGHTS: Academy of Art is located in San Francisco, and was founded in 1925… The team returns its top four scorers from last season as Hannah Emmett, Meagan Bucci, Emi Sullivan and Jasmine Sharpe are all back… Emmett scored five goals and added two assists in her freshman season last year… The Urban Knights brought in eight new players in 2011… Art U was shut out 12 times last season including a stretch of six matches from Sept. 22 to Oct. 3.

DEPENDABLE DANNA: Minot State University senior defenseman Marianna Danna (Sutter, Calif.) returns after an All-American season last year. Danna was a mainstay on the Beavers defense last year, earning honorable mention NAIA All-American status in her first season.

LIFE AS A TRANSITION TEAM: Minot State will redshirt key players from last season during this one-year transition from the Dakota Athletic Conference and then NAIA to NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Senior's Lexi Kidd (Mid., Sutter, Calif.) and Marie Torres (G, San Bruno, Calif.), who started in the midfield and goalkeeper last season for the Beavers.

OFFENSIVE MINDED: Minot State senior forward Tara McPartland (Sandy, Utah) is the team's returning goal leader as she netted five in 2010. McPartland finished last year with five goals, two assists on 23 shots on goal. She started 15 of 19 games.

INTERNATIONAL FLAIR: The Beavers soccer program is just two years old, but has its first international player suiting up in 2011 as Zoe Fisher, from Cambridgeshire, England, begins her Beavers career this week. Fisher is a freshman forward.

EFFICIENT MACFARLANE: MSU sophomore Jamie MacFarlane (F, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) finished the 2010 campaign with three goals, but needed just 17 shots on goal to get her three. For the season, MacFarlane had three goals, two assists in 18 games played.