The Bulldogs are ready to go for their last weekend series of conference play this season. The University of Minnesota Duluth soccer team is set to travel to MSU Moorhead on Friday and then return home on Sunday where they take on Northern State. 
 
UMD is looking to continue their winning streak this weekend after two big shutout wins against Wayne State and Augustana. Goalkeeper Jenny Norris came up big for the Bulldogs this past weekend where she recorded over 180 shutout minutes and made 17 saves in the two matches. She tied her season high with 11 saves against Augustana and raised her season save percentage to .848%. Norris was selected as the NSIC goalkeeper of the week for her performance. 
 
The Bulldogs are currently sitting ninth overall in the conference with a conference record of 5-4-3. St. Cloud State, Winona State, Northern State, and the Bulldogs are all sitting within three points of each other, making the playoff race tight and competitive. 
MSU Moorhead is the Bulldogs first test this weekend. They currently sit in the twelve spot in conference play with a record of 2-7-3. Historically the Bulldogs have done quite well against the Dragons, going 10-2-1 since 2008. In their most recent matchup, Minnesota Duluth came away victorious with a 1-0 shutout. 
 
The Bulldogs will then travel back to Duluth to take on the Northern State Wolves. Northern is sitting two spots ahead of the Bulldogs in conference standings, sitting in the six spot. This matchup is big for both teams as the Bulldogs look to earn their spot in the postseason and the Wolves look to secure their position in the top eight. 
 
Duluth has also done historically well against the Wolves, going 16-2-2. Their most recent match in 2021 ended in a 1-1 draw. Northern has a conference record of 5-2-5, two of their ties coming from conference power houses Minnesota State Mankato and Augustana which ended in 0-0 draws. This matchup will be one of the Bulldogs most competitive matchups yet, as both teams' playoff runs will be one the line. 
 
Sophomore Anna Tobias was the only Bulldog to score against these two teams in their 2021 matchups. Tobias scored the game winning goal in the Bulldogs' 1-0 win against Wayne State last weekend and she will look to add to her three goals on the season in this weekend's matches. 
 
Jackie Jares still leads the Bulldogs with four goals, five assists, and thirteen points on the season. Tobias and senior Hannah Caldwell both have three goals on the year, and Eliana Marciano has two goals on the season. Freshman Myra Moorjani also has a notable three assists, her latest coming from their shutout win against Wayne State. 
 
With the conference tournament in sight, the Bulldogs will look to improve their record and move up within the conference ranks. Kickoff against MSU Moorhead is Friday at 3:00pm in Moorhead, MN and Sunday's game is set for 1:00pm in Duluth, MN.