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Teams: Minot State vs Southwest Minnesota State | Series: Tied at 2-2
Date: Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014 | Time: 11 a.m. | Site: Herb Parker Stadium
Teams: Minot State vs Sioux Falls | Series: Minot State leads series 5-1
Date: Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014 | Time: 1 p.m. | Site: Herb Parker Stadium

RECORDS: After an up-and-down start to NSIC play, Minot State holds a 1-1-1 record in the conference and a 2-2-2 record overall. Southwest Minnesota State enters the week of Sept. 22 with a 3-3 overall record. The Mustangs sit at 2-1 in the NSIC. The University of Sioux Falls come into the week with an overall record of 0-5-1. The Cougars are 0-3 in NSIC play so far this season.

COACHES CORNER: Jason Spain is in his fifth season as head coach of the women's soccer program at Minot State. Spain has done impressive work in his four seasons with the team, sporting a highly successful 42-27-9 record. Last season, Spain led the Beavers to their second consecutive birth in the NSIC postseason tournament. In 2012, the Beavers won the NSIC tournament and claimed the automatic bid into the NCAA Division II tournament. Southwest Minnesota State is led by head coach TJ Buchholz, who was named NSIC coach of the year in 2013. In just four years with the Mustangs, Buchholz has compiled an overall record of 28-23-4. In 2013, the head coach led the team to 11 straight wins to start the season and the Mustangs appeared in their first ever top 25 rankings. Mekonnen Afa is in his seventh season as the Cougars head coach. Afa has produced 50 all-conference selections during his tenure with the program.

RANKINGS: No teams facing Minot State this weekend are ranked in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America top 25 poll.

NOTING THE BEAVERS: Minot State began NSIC play on Monday, Sept. 15 when they travelled to the University of Mary. In a physical battle between the two teams, goalkeeper Gemma Biasetto (GK/F, Jr., Albuquerque, N.M.) made multiple big-time saves to keep the game in the balance. The game ultimately ended in a 0-0 draw. The Beavers hosted their first home conference games this past weekend when Minnesota-Crookston and Bemidji State came to town on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, Minot State struggled to get any good chances on frame and let Crookston hang around too long. The Golden Eagles walked away from Herb Parker Stadium with a 1-0 victory, scoring late in the 88th minute of play. The Beavers rebounded strongly Sunday afternoon when they welcomed the other Beavers in the NSIC, Bemidji State, to Minot. Chloe Melton (F, So., Fleet, England) notched her first goal of the season to propel Minot State to their first NSIC win.

NOTING THE MUSTANGS: Southwest Minnesota State started NSIC play with three straight home matches and currently sit at 2-1 in the league. This past Saturday, the Mustangs played host to the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears and won a tight game 1-0. Autumn Hayes put the game-winning goal away in the 60th minute off a penalty kick. SMSU ended the weekend on a rough note when they lost 2-0 to No. 2 Minnesota State. The Mustangs are led by Miranda Cadena who has 5 goals and 2 assists for a total of 12 points on the season.

NOTING THE COUGARS: 2013 has not been friendly to the University of Sioux Falls so far. After tying their first game of the season against Nebraska-Kearney, the Cougars have lost five straight games. This past Saturday, Sioux Falls welcomed Minnesota State to the USF Complex and suffered an 8-1 setback. Looking to get back on track on Sunday, Concordia-St. Paul defeated the Cougars by a score of 3-1. Ciara Howerton leads the Cougars with 4 points in 2013 (2 goals).

SERIES HISTORY: Minot State and Southwest Minnesota State both have two wins in the all-time series against each other. In 2013, the Mustangs got the best of the Beavers with a 4-0 win in Minot State's second NSIC game of the season. Minot State holds a 5-1 series lead against Sioux Falls. The Beavers defeated the Cougars 2-1 in the most recent meeting between the teams.

MELTIN' POT: Minot State's Chloe Melton (F, So., Fleet, England) scored her first goal of the season this past Sunday in the Beavers' defeat of Bemidji State. The Beavers will look to get more out of her going forward as the team has struggled thus far to score. Melton had 4 goals and 3 assists last season

EFFECTIVE CHANGE UP: Minot State head coach decided to move Gemma Biasetto (F/GK, Jr., Albuquerque, N.M.) from goalkeeper to forward in the team's game against Bemidji State and the moved paid off for the Beavers. Biasetto played 58 effective minutes up top while Celene Johnson (GK, Jr., Rocklin, Calif.) recorded her first clean sheet in a Minot State uniform.

BRILLIANT BACKLINE: While Minot State has struggled to score at times, their defense has been very consistent throughout the 2014 campaign. The Beavers concede the 4th least goals in all of the NSIC, giving up just .667 goals per game.

BY THE NUMBERS
3: Minot State has scored just three goals in the six games they've played in the 2014 season. Only MSU-Moorhead has fewer goals than the Beavers in the NSIC.

8: After the first week of NSIC play, the Beavers sit in eighth place, the final position that qualifies for the conference's postseason tournament. Minot State is just five points out of first place.

25: Jamie MacFarlane (F, Sr., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) has taken 25 shots for the Beavers this season, second-most in the NSIC.