THIS WEEK: Minot State finishes off a four-game road swing playing at Southwest Minnesota State and the University of Sioux Falls. The Beavers play at SMSU Saturday at noon and then take on Sioux Falls Sunday at 1 p.m.

RECORDS: Minot State (5-1, 3-0) won its first three conference games last week against Mary, Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State. Southwest Minnesota State (2-3-1, 2-1) split their games last week with a win against Concordia St. Paul and a loss against Minnesota State. Sioux Falls (1-4, 0-3) lost in two away games by a total of 10-0.

COACHES CORNER: Jason Spain is in his sixth 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 52-34-11 record. Last season, Spain led the Beavers to their third 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. Erin Kasmarik-Mallett is in her first season coaching with the Southwest Minnesota State. Prior to joining the Mustangs she was a men's high school coach at Brookings High School in South Dakota. In 2010 Kasmarik-Mallett began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at South Dakota State University. Brittany Goosen is in her first season as the head coach for Sioux Falls beginning her duties in December of 2014. In her four years playing soccer at the University of Nebraska Goosen started in every game in her four years from 2007-11. After a graduate assistant coaching job with Emporia State Goosen spent one season as the assistant coach for the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

RANKINGS: The Beavers, Mustangs and Cougars are all unranked in the September 22 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division II poll. Minot State received votes in the poll gathering two points from the voters.

NOTING THE BEAVERS: Minot State's lone loss this year comes at the hands of the current No. 1 team in the country, Central Missouri. The 1-0 victory was the lowest scoring game for the Jennies so far this season and tied for the lowest point differential. In three games in conference play this season the Beavers have only allowed one goal that did not come from a penalty kick. So far this season they have outscored NSIC opponents 8-3 including a shutout against Minnesota Crookston.  

NOTING THE MUSTANGS: Southwest Minnesota State have shutout half of the teams they have played in 2015. They rank fifth in the NSIC in saves with 41, but rank eighth in save percentage with .837. The Mustangs rely on heavily on seniors Kylie Redmond and Miranda Cadena who have taken 29 of the team's 60 shots and scored three of the team's five goals.

NOTING THE COUGARS: Sioux Falls has only scored one goal this season, which came in their lone victory against Northwestern Oklahoma State. The Cougars have allowed 13 goals this season, averaging 2.6 goals scored per game by opponents. Playing a clean game this season they have yet to register any penalties.

SERIES HISTORY: The Beavers lead the series against both teams with a 3-2 record against Southwest Minnesota State and a 6-1 record against Sioux Falls.

LAST TIME OUT: In 2014 Minot State played Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls in back-to-back games in the same fashion they are playing in 2015. In the two home game victories the Beavers outscored the visitors 6-1. With five of the six goals coming from current players.

RAMIREZ'S RED HOT START: Ninfa Ramirez (F, Jr., Perris, Calif.) is in her debut season with Minot State after redshirting last year. In six games played Ramirez has scored a goal in four while also assisting two goals on the year. With an accurate shooting ability she has targeted 14 shots on goal taking on 19 total shots. Despite the success on the field Ramirez only ranks sixth on the team in playing time averaging 65 minutes per game.

TWINNING: True freshmen Ashley Franco (D, Long Beach, Calif.) and Andrea Franco (M, Long Beach, Calif.) have made impacts early in their first season playing with the Beavers. Ashley, a defensemen, has played in the third most minutes of any player this season and has tallied one assist on a corner kick. Andrea, a forward, has had her fair share of playing time making five starts and appearing in all six games as she has scored on goal on the season. The Long Beach, Calif. natives stand at five-foot tall, but don't let their stature keep them from playing with aggression as Andrea has taken the third most shots on the season with six while Ashley has taken three herself.

EARLY CONFERENCE SUCCESS: Minot State has won its first three conference games by a total point difference of 8-3. Two of those three goals came from penalty kicks against rival Mary in the opening conference match. Of the eight goals scored in the first week of conference play five different players scored. The Beavers are currently tied with Minnesota State as conference leaders with nine points apiece and identical 5-1, 3-0 records.

BY THE NUMBERS

0: Times the Beavers have started out 3-0 in conference play. Minot State has never finished with a record under .500 in Northern Sun play.

1: Goals needed by senior Emilie Rebelo (Sr., Sacramento, Calif.) to move up to sole ownership of the number two spot on the all-time list. She currently has 14 goals in her career and is tied at second all-time with two other players.

22: Shots on goal allowed by the MSU defense. That mark is the least amount of shots on goal allowed by any NSIC team this season. The next closest teams are St. Cloud State with 26 and Winona State with 29. These are the only three teams with under 30 shots on goal allowed.