CROOKSTON, Minn.- The University of Minnesota Crookston women's soccer team will host the University of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State University over Homecoming Weekend. The Golden Eagles will take on USF Friday, October 22 at 3 p.m., and the Mustangs Sunday, October 24 at 1 p.m.
Â
Friday will also be Senior Day as the Golden Eagles will honor Gabriela Pinto (R-Sr., D, Beaverton, Ore.), along with Hannah Macias (Sr. MF/F, West Covina, Calif.) and Leah Macias (Sr., MF/F, West Covina, Calif.).
Â
UMN Crookston comes in with a 1-11 (1-8 NSIC) mark, while Sioux Falls is 2-8-3 (2-5-3 NSIC) and Southwest Minnesota State is 3-8-1 (2-7-1 NSIC).
Â
SETTING THE SCENE
SIOUX FALLS AT MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22 - 3 P.M.
UMN CROOKSTON SOCCER FIELDÂ
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE AT MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 - 1 P.M.
UMN CROOKSTON SOCCER FIELD
• KYLE HALFPOP FACES OFF WITH SIOUX FALLS, WHERE HE WAS THE FORMER ASSISTANT COACH UNDER HEAD COACH BRITTANY DOMINO.
• THE GOLDEN EAGLES HAVE THEIR LAST FULL HOME WEEKEND AT HOME WITH GAME AGAINST SIOUX FALLS AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE.
SERIES
• THE GOLDEN EAGLES ARE LOOKING FOR THEIR FIRST WIN OVER SIOUX FALLS SINCE A 2-0 VICTORY OCT. 10, 2015 IN CROOKSTON.
• MINNESOTA CROOKSTON SEARCHES FOR THEIR FIRST WIN OVER THE MUSTANGS SINCE AN OCT.23, 2016 1-0 WIN OVER SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
• SIOUX FALLS PICKED UP A WIN OVER MSU MOORHEAD LAST SUNDAY 1-0. THE COUGARS HAD PREVIOUSLY PICKED UP TIES AGAINST WAYNE STATE AND NORTHERN STATE.
• USF HAS FIVE GOALS ON THE SEASON. GRACE HELD, SARAH MILLER, ELLIE RIPPERDA, AUNDRIA VARGAS, AND HANNAH WELCH HAVE THE GOALS THIS SEASON.
• IN GOAL, ALEXIS WEMHOFF LEADS THE WAY WITH A 1.08 GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE WITH 77 SAVES ON THE SEASON.
• THE COUGARS AVERAGE 5.1 SHOTS PER GAME AND HAVE A .076 SHOTS PERCENTAGE ON THE SEASON.
GABBIN' ABOUT GABBY
• UMN CROOKSTON SENIOR GABBY PINTO HAS BEEN A FIVE-YEAR PLAYER FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLES. SHE WILL BE HONORED PRIOR TO FRIDAY'S GAME FOR HER ROLE ON THE TEAM. PINTO HAS BEEN A TEAM LEADER AND UNFORTUNATELY SAW HER SEASON COME TO A CLOSE EARLY THIS YEAR. SHE HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE GROWTH OF YOUNGER PLAYERS AND HAD MADE A BIG IMPACT EARLY IN THE SEASON.
SEEING DOUBLE
• IN ADDITION TO GABBY PINTO, UMN CROOKSTON SENIORS HANNAH AND LEAH MACIAS STEPPED IN DURING A KEY MOMENT WHEN THE GOLDEN EAGLES NEEDED REINFORCEMENTS THIS SEASON. THE TWINS HAVE CONTINUED TO GROW ON THE SOCCER PITCH AND HAVE BEEN BIG CONTRIBUTORS THIS SEASON.
IN THE NAVY
• KATHRYN BRAINERD HAS A UNIQUE STORY AS SHE PLAYED GOALIE AT ROCHESTER COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE IN 2013 AND 2014 AND THEN JOINED THE NAVY FOR FIVE YEARS. BRAINERD WAS DEPLOYED IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND DID A SWIM QUALIFICATION AT THE MARIANA TRENCH. NOW SHE IS BACK IN MINNESOTA AND PURSUING HER LOVE OF SOCCER. BRAINERD WILL SHOW OFF HER VERSATILITY AS SHE CAN BE USED IN THE FIELD AND AS A GOALIE FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLES.
IN GOAL
• ABBY OLSEN ENTERS THE WEEKEND WITH A 4.00 GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE WITH 113 SAVES AND A .720 SAVES PERCENTAGE THIS SEASON.
THE ROCK
• UMN CROOKSTON PICKED UP THEIR FIRST WIN OVER THE DRAGONS SINCE 2016 AND THEIR FIRST NSIC WIN SINCE 2015, EARNING THE HIGHWAY 75 RIVALRY ROCK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX SEASONS.
FROM THE DIAMOND TO THE PITCH
• MINNESOTA CROOKSTON HAS FOUR NEW PLAYERS ON THE ROSTER WHO JOINED THE TEAM AS DUAL-SPORT STUDENT-ATHLETES, ALSO COMPETING IN SOFTBALL. LEAH MACIAS, HANNAH MACIAS, THAYDA HOUSER, AND SHAELYN GRANT ALL MADE THEIR DEBUTS WITH LEAH MACIAS AND SHAELYN GRANT EARNING STARTS AGAINST MINNESOTA DULUTH. THE QUARTET HAS PLAYED MAJOR MINUTES IN THE LAST THREE GAMES FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLES.
SMSU PREVIEW
LOTTS OF POINTS
• ALEX LOTTS IS THE LEADING SCORER FOR THE MUSTANGS, AS SHE HAS THREE GOALS AND THREE ASSISTS FOR NINE POINTS THIS SEASON. LOTTS HAS EIGHT SHOTS ON GOAL THIS SEASON.
ALL ABOUT ABBEY
• ABBEY HOISINGTON COMES INTO THE WEEKEND WITH A TEAM-LEADING FOUR GOALS AND 16 SHOTS ON GOAL DURING THE 2021 SEASON. HOISINGTON WILL LOOK TO MAKE A BIG IMPACT THIS WEEKEND.
WEEKEND SPLIT
• SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE SPLIT LAST WEEKEND WITH A 2-0 LOSS TO NORTHERN STATE AND A 2-0 WIN OVER MSU MOORHEAD.
MEGHAN IN GOAL
• MEGHAN HARKIN HAS LED THE MUSTANGS IN GOAL WITH A 1.30 GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE WITH 49 SAVES ON 132 SHOTS FACED THIS SEASON.
