The University of Minnesota Duluth soccer team opens up a two-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference homestand this weekend, with a 6:00 p.m. Friday night game scheduled against the University of Sioux Falls, followed by a Sunday noon kick-off against Southwest Minnesota State University. Both matches will be played on Griggs Field inside of James S. Malosky Stadium in Duluth, Minn.

KICKS FOR CAUSES CONTINUES: Senior forward Morgan Eckerle will host Northwoods Children's Services Friday night, while Miriam Marsan will welcome Lifehouse Sunday afternoon. For more information on Northwoods Children's Services, click here, and for more information on Lifehouse, click here.

WEEKEND PREVIEW: 

VS. SIOUX FALLS: The Bulldogs are unbeaten against USF since 2013 – the first season USF was cleared for Division II play. Since then, UMD has gone 7-0-4 and a perfect 3-0-2 on Griggs Field. In those 11 games, the Bulldogs have averaged 1.45 goals a game.

Last season, UMD and USF battled to a 2-2 tie in Sioux Falls back on Oct. 25, 2024. It marked the third time in the past four seasons against the Cougars. Morgan Eckerle and Kailey Tomzak both had goals for the Bulldogs, who were outshot 16-11 by USF. Kaycee Chavez had five saves for UMD.

USF enters the weekend 2-1 after defeating Nebraska Kearney 1-0 on the road last Sunday. Addison Van Lee was the Cougars lone goal scorer.

VS. SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE: All-time, the Bulldogs lead the Mustangs 25-7-1, but over the past 10 outings, UMD is just 3-6-1 at the hands of SMSU. Last season, the two sides settled for a 1-1 tie in Marshall, Minn. on Oct. 27, 2024. Aisley Allen had UMD's goal late in the game – 88:27 late – to equalize the sides. The Bulldogs heavily outshot the Mustangs 19-4 overall and 10-3 on goal.

SMSU is 1-2 overall heading into the weekend, with its lone win against Dakota State at home back on Sept. 7, a 6-0 triumph.

CANE NEARS 300 CAREER WINS: UMD head coach Greg Cane, currently in his 31st season at the helm of the Bulldogs has inched within a single game of the 300 career win club after pocketing a win against Michigan Tech University to open the season. Cane has 299 wins over his 35 overall seasons in college soccer ranks him 15th among all Division II active head coaches. All-time at UMD, Cane has a record of 284-209-64, while his overall coaching record, which includes four seasons at the NCAA Division III College of St. Scholastica is 298-243-55.

LAST TIME OUT: It was a tale of two halves for UMD last Friday night inside James S. Malosky Stadium. Despite breaking through in the first half to open the scoring, the Bulldogs surrendered three goals in the second half for the 3-1 setback -- UMD's first of the season. 

It looked like the Bulldogs might extend their sweet start to the season at the 31:22 mark of the opening half when Kaitlyn Beavers won a 50/50 ball and proceeded to rip a shot from 30 yards out that got past Beaver goaltender Payton Kropp for the first goal of the sophomore transfer's young UMD career. The goal gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead -- one they would take into halftime of the nonconference game. 

But the NSIC's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Katrina Barthelt and the Beavers had other ideas. Barthelt figured in all three of BSU goals, and it started at 48:20 in the second half when the forward chipped the ball up to Molly Burkstrand, who spun and week one NSIC Goaltender of the Week Kaycee Chavez. Less than five minutes later, BSU took a 2-1 lead on a shot from Barthelt, and then 11:50 later, Barthelt forced a yellow card on Chavez in the box and buried the penalty shot to extend the Beaver lead to 3-1. While the Bulldogs again piled up the corner kicks -- including six in the second half and a 9-1 advantage for the game, they were unable to convert. The Bulldogs also owned a 11-7 shots advantage, including a 6-5 lead in shots on goals. Chavez made two saves for UMD.

BULLDOG NOTES: UMD is averaging 5.6 corner kicks a game while holding its opponents to just 2.6 … the Bulldogs are also averaging 10 shots a game – while allowing just 7.3, but UMD has been outscored 2-3 through its first three games.