CROOKSTON, Minn.- The Golden Eagle soccer team enters the final weekend of their 2014 regular season with an eye on the NSIC tournament bracket as they currently sit in ninth place, with a chance to move up two or three spots in the eight team tournament if they can get a pair of much needed wins.
 
UMC will travel to St. Cloud State University, on Friday, as the Huskies are closing their season out of the playoff hunt but they will attempt to play spoilers with their record of 4-11-1, 3-9-1 in NSIC play. The Huskies have only scored 12 goals as a team this year and they have allowed 30 through their 15 games played. The UMC offense has also struggled as of late as they have only scored two goals through their last five games. In that same stretch, UMC has only allowed four goals and amassed a record of 1-2-2. The Golden Eagle's team defense has been nothing short of amazing but leading scorers, Courtney Armborst (Jr., West St. Paul, Minn.) and Miranda Mosher (Fr., Watertown, Minn.) will need to find the back of the net this weekend.
 
Fresh off a NSIC Goalkeeper of the Week nod, Lexie Gauger (So., Green Bay, Wis.) will look to keep up her stellar play as she will face the conference's top scorer on Sunday. The Bulldog's Maureen Stormont (Stillwater, Minn.) leads the NSIC with 14 goals but she doesn't have much help as the rest of the UMD offense has only added another eight goals. Duluth (7-9, 7-6) will play Bemidji State University on Friday before making the trip to Crookston for Sunday's big match.
 
UMC currently sits in ninth place in the NSIC with a total of 19 team points. With six points up for grabs this weekend, the Golden Eagles could pass Duluth who sits in the eighth spot with 21 points and with a weekend sweep and some help around the conference, UMC has a chance to catch or pass Minot State and Southwest Minnesota State who each have 22 points.
 
The 2014 playoff picture is clear as mud, but the Golden Eagles can help themselves out with a much needed road win on Friday, before they close things out with the University of Minnesota Duluth here in Crookston Sunday at 1:00 pm.