Crookston, Minn.- The 2016 edition of the Battle for the Rivalry Rock will take place tomorrow afternoon in Crookston as the UMC Golden Eagles will host Minnesota State University Moorhead for a NSIC soccer match at 3:00 pm. Not only will the pride of Highway 75 be on the line but the two teams are in need of a win if they wat to get into the hunt for a NSIC playoff spot.
 
The MSUM Dragons currently sit in 16^th place in the NSIC standings with their conference record of 1-6, 2-7 overall, and three points. UMC is one point ahead of the Dragons with their conference mark of 1-5-1, 2-7-1 overall. With eight teams making the conference playoffs, a win for either side could put them within a couple points from the postseason tournament.
 
MSUM has been outscored 23-6 through their first nine games. Senior midfielder, Jessica Johnson (St. Michael, Minn.) has been responsible for half of the Dragon's offense as she has taken 26 total shots and scored three goals thus far. Forward, Annika Greaney (So., Gothenburg, Sweden) has also found the back of the net a she has scored twice off of 12 total shots. MSUM has used a trio of goalkeepers with junior Reagan VonBerge (Yorba Linda, Calif.) logging the bulk of the minutes and a record of 1-7.
 
Senior keeper Lexie Gauger (Sr., Green Bay, Wis./Criminal Justice) has been the main keeper for UMC in 2016 as she has a current record of 2-5 and a goals against average of 2.08. Gauger's 18 career shutouts is a program record and she will look to add to her current three scoreless efforts of the 2016 campaign.  
 
The Golden Eagles have also struggled to score in 2016 as they have five goals for, compared to 20 against. Kallie Gau (Sr., Monticell, Minn./Early Childhood & Elementary Education) and Lindsey Daml (Fr., North Pole, Alaska) lead they on the stat sheet as they have each scored twice with Lorna McCall (So., Chicago, Ill.) picking up the other UMC goal. Freshman forward, Abi Aswege (West Bend, Wis.) currently leads the Golden Eagles in shots with ten.
 
In the first three years of the Battle for the Rock, UMC holds a 2-1 edge, but they will look to break a trend as the visiting team has won all three games.
 
For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.
 
Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.
 
The University of Minnesota Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).