Riding a two-game winning streak, the University of Minnesota Duluth soccer team will head west for Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action to Wayne, Nebraska Friday to face Wayne State College on the WSC Soccer Field before traveling to Sioux Falls, SD to play Augustana University Sunday on Marstad Field. Friday's game against the Wildcats will get underway, while the Bulldogs will kick-off against the Vikings at 1:00 p.m. Sunday.

WEEKEND PREVIEW: 

VS. WAYNE STATE: The Bulldogs are 16-2-5 all-time against the Wildcats, a one-sided rivalry that began on Oct. 24, 1999 (a 5-2 UMD win). More recently, over the past five seasons, the Bulldogs and Wildcats have tied three of their last five games. In fact, UMD is 1-1-3 in those contests and both sides have scored three goals apiece.

Last season in Wayne, UMD and WSC played to a 1-1 tie on Sept. 27, 2024. After the Wildcats struck at 60:51 of the second half, the Bulldogs were awarded a penalty kick with just 58 seconds left in regulation that was converted by Anna Tobias to salvage the 1-1 draw.  UMD edged WSC 11-10 in total shots and 5-4 in shots on goal. But the Bulldogs dominated in corner kicks, logging eight compared to just four of the Wildcats.

WSC is 3-0-2 overall and 2-0 in NSIC play after defeating the University of Minnesota Crookston last Friday 1-0 and then Minnesota State University Moorhead Sunday 4-0 on the road. The Wildcats – averaging 2.20 goals a game while holding opponents to just 0.20, are led by Paige Pemberton, who has three goals in five games. WSC is averaging 5.8 corner kicks a game and currently ranks as the second-highest scoring team in the NSIC with an average of 2.200 goals a game. WSC has allowed just one goal against so far this season.

VS. AUGUSTANA: All-time, UMD owns a 13-10-3 record against the Vikings, with their first meeting going all the way back to Oct. 3, 2004 (a 1-0 Bulldog win). Over the past five seasons, UMD is 1-3-2 against Augustana after falling to the Vikings 2-0 last season in Sioux Falls on Sept. 29, 2024. In those five games, the Bulldogs have scored just one goal while also allowing  the Vikings five goals.

Augustana is 4-0-1 overall and 2-0 in league action so far this season after defeating both MSUM and Crookston 5-1 on the road. The Vikings have two players with eight or more points through five games – Madelyn White (4g, 1a) and Ally Hamski (3g, 2a). White's three goals currently lead the NSIC. Augustana currently leads the NSIC with a 2.80 goals per game average as a team.

OF NOTE AND NET: Augustana and Wayne are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the NSIC in goals scored – the Vikings have netted 14 while the Wildcats have scored 11. The Bulldogs sit in sixth with nine.

THEY'RE CORNERED: While the Vikings will enter the weekend as the NSIC lead in corner kicks (42, with an average of 8.4 a game, which also doubles as the seventh most per game average in NCAA DII), the Bulldogs enter with the second most – 32 – for a 6.4 per game average. UMD has scored four goals this far off a corner kick.

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs swept the University of Sioux Falls 5-1 last Friday night before defeating Southwest Minnesota State University 2-0 on Sunday. Elaina Shromoff netted a hat trick Friday night and Kaitlyn Beavers added two goals to lead UMD past the Cougars and secure head coach Greg Cane's 300 collegiate career win. 

Sunday, the Bulldogs got goals from Nora Helvig and Jessica Eischens to earn the home weekend sweep 2-0. UMD had a 9-1 advantage off corner kicks, and Eischens' goal came off a corner kick. 


Shromoff earned a NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honor after her three goal weekend.

CANE REACHES CAREER WIN 300: UMD head coach Greg Cane reached his 300th collegiate career win Friday night in the Bulldogs trounce of USF, (and added 301 Sunday). All-time, Can is now 301-243-55 over his 35 overall seasons in women's college soccer and owns a record of 287-209-64 at UMD. Cane is just the second NSIC women's soccer head coach to reach the mark.

BULLDOG NOTES: The Bulldogs are one of six NSIC schools to enter the weekend 2-0 in league play … Wayne State and Augustana are also two of the six teams undefeated in the NSIC … senior midfielder Miriam Marson is currently tied for the most assists in the NSCI with four … sophomore forward Kaitlyn Beavers ranks fifth in the conference with seven points (3g, 1a).