MATCHUPS: Minot State will host the first round of the NSIC Tournament on Wednesday, November 2 with a matchup against the 8-seed Upper Iowa. If MSU wins that game they will then host the remainder of the NSIC Tournament on Friday and Sunday, November 4 and 6.  

RECORDS: The Beavers finished out their NSIC schedule with an undefeated 14-0-1 record to end with an overall record of 15-1-1. Upper Iowa ended 2016 with an 8-9 record including a 7-8 NSIC record.

COACHES CORNER: Jason Spain is in his seventh season as head coach of the women's soccer program at Minot State. Spain has done impressive work in his five seasons with the team, sporting a highly successful 68-39-12 record. James Price is in his first season at Upper Iowa. Price was previously the coach at Division I Northern Iowa where he amassed 33 victories in six seasons.

RANKINGS: Minot State remained the 11th ranked team in the country this week in the November 1 NSCAA Coaches poll. Minnesota State received two votes, but did not make the top 25 while no other NSIC team received votes.

SERIES HISTORY: The Beavers are 2-4 against Upper Iowa which includes a 3-0 win earlier this season in Minot.  

NOTING THE BEAVERS: Minot State finished its regular season with the most wins in that time in school history with 15, improving from last season's 14 regular season wins. The Beavers are the second highest scoring team in the NSIC this season with 2.35 goals per game. MSU has also allowed the fewest goals against with seven in 17 games, a 0.40 average.  

NOTING THE PEACOCKS: Despite falling in both of their games last week the Peacocks remained one of the top eight teams in the NSIC to make the NSIC Tournament for the fourth time in the past five seasons. Upper Iowa has ended Minot State's playoff runs before having beat them in 2014 in the NSIC Tournament in Fayette, Iowa.
 
NOTING THE VIKINGS: If the Beavers and Vikings both win they will play each other at Herb Parker on Friday, November 4. Augustana will host Minnesota Duluth on Wednesday. The Vikings won the NSIC Tournament last season as the No. 2 seed. This season they will be the No. 4 seed in their fourth consecutive NSIC Tournament appearance.

NOTING THE BULLDOGS: If the Beavers and Bulldogs both win they will play each other at Herb Parker on Friday, November 4. Minnesota Duluth will travel to Augustana to play in the first round on Wednesday. With an 8-5-5 record (6-4-5 NSIC) the Bulldogs earned the No. 5 seed in the NSIC Tournament. UMD has played well defensively recently allowing just two goals in its past four games.

KEEPING A LID ON IT: The Beavers have split time at goalkeeper this season between senior Leila Torres (13 games played) and sophomore Erin Rafferty (14 games played). Both of these players rank as the top two goalies in the NSIC. Rafferty ranks as the top goalie in both goals against average (0.39) and save percentage (.915) while Torres ranks second in both categories (0.43, .897).