The University of Minnesota Duluth soccer team will finally play a home game when it welcomes Augustana University Friday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. to Malosky Stadium in one of two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games in Duluth, Minn. this weekend. The second will get underway at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday when the Bulldogs welcome Wayne State University.

WEEKEND PREVIEW: 

vs. AUGUSTANA: All-time, UMD owns a 13-11-3 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 AU after falling last season in Sioux Falls 3-0 on Sept. 28, 2025. In that contest, the Vikings put six shots on goal to just one by the Bulldogs, and after trailing by just one goal most of the game, AU struck twice in the 87th and 90th minute to stretch the lead to 3-0.

UMD will be looking for its first win over Augustana since Oct. 16, 2022 (1-0 win) and first triumph in Duluth since Oct. 6, 2013. (3-2 overtime win on Griggs). Since that last win in Duluth, the Bulldogs are averaging less than a goal a game against the Vikings (0.57) and have gone 1-3-2 on their home turf.

Augustana enters Friday with an overall record of 4-0-1 and 2-0 in NSIC play after defeating the University of Minnesota Crookston 2-0 last Friday and Minnesota State University, Moorhead 2-1 on Sunday at home. Sophomore forward Ava Delaney leads the Vikings with six points on a team-high two goals and two assists, while senior forward Madelyn White has recorded five points with a goal and squad-best three assists.

vs. WAYNE STATE: The Bulldogs are 16-2-6 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 four of their last five games. 

Last season in Wayne, UMD and WSC played to a 1-1 tie on Sept. 26, 2025. UMD struck first in the 38th minute on a goal from Morgan Eckerle, but the Wildcats equalized in the 73rd minute off a penalty kick. The Bulldogs edged WSC 6-4 on shots on goal and had a 7-3 corner kick advantaged.

The Wildcats are 2-3 overall to start their season and 1-1 in conference play after falling 1-0 to MSUM last weekend but defeating UMC on Sunday 2-0. Briella Thompsen has six points on three goals in five games so far, while two players have four points – Tyler Donaldson (two goals) and Olivia Thompson (four assists).

CORNERED DOGS: Not only is UMD averaging an NSIC most 6.44 corner kicks a game, the Bulldogs have netted five of their seven goals through their first five games off of corner kicks – a goal a game average. UMD is led by junior forward Lauren McGough, who has netted two of her three goal off the set piece. 

In all, UMD has had 32 corner kicks while giving up just 20 to opponents. The Vikings will enter Friday's match with the third most corner kicks in the NSIC, averaging 5.95.

BULLDOG HOLD 'EM: UMD is allowing just 0.60 goals a game through its first five outings. The Bulldogs have not held foes to under a goal a game over a complete season since the 2018 season where they ended up under a goal a game at 0.94.

BULLDOG NOTES: Lauren McGough's three goals ties her for the fourth most in the NSIC (and UMD lead in goals and points (six) … sophomore goaltender Edy Halverson owns the league's third-lowest goals against average at 0.50 … Halverson has allowed just two goals in over 360 minutes of action … Halverson is also tied for the second most shutouts in the NSIC with three … no Bulldog goaltender has had more than four shutouts in a season since Jennifer Norris recorded four over the 2023 season, and before Norris, Sophie Grenz, who also had four in 2019 … no UMD goaltender has had more than four goaltenders since 2014 when Marissa Rosa had seven … Gwendolyn Lilly has so far played a team-high 446 minutes on the backline … the Bulldogs are averaging 1.40 goals per game and have outshot their opponents 47-14.