College soccer's regular season is at it's end and starting Monday, 2 November the NSIC Conference Tournament kicks off. Thursday saw Minnesota State take their third straight regular season title, fourth in five years, and ninth overall. Entering the conference tournament, the Mavericks are aiming for third straight tournament title, which would be their 12th overall win.
In North Dakota the Mary Marauders scored a win and earned their first ever share of the NSIC regular season title. Though based on the tiebraker, a head to head lost against Minnesota State, Mary is the number two seed. Entering the conference tournament three teams (Northern State, Concordia-St. Paul, and St. Cloud State) have never won the tournament title. Alongside the winners of the Mid-America Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Great American Conference (GAC), the NSIC tournament winner will earn a bid directly to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Central Region Tournament.
First Round Matches
#1 Minnesota State vs #8 St. Cloud State
Minnesota State comes into the tournament as the overall number one seed, with just a single loss all season. The Mavericks have had a fantastic offence and defence all season, scoring 49 goals and allowing just eight in 18 matches this season. Amara Smith leads the team in offensive production with 13 goals and five assists, having played every match of the season.
SCSU has been okay, but not great, on offence with a solid defence to back them up. Out of the 30 goals SCSU has scored, 11 were from senior forward Linsey Trapino. The Mavericks and Huskies met on the final day of regular season at Husky Stadium, with Minnesota State taking down SCSU 4–2.
#2 Mary vs #7 Bemidji State
After going 1-1-1 in non-conference play the Marauders stormed through NSIC play. 12 wins in 15 conference matches, including 13 straight unbeaten propelled Mary to the second seed in the playoffs. Mary outscored their previous three opponents a combined 13–1, with two of those matches taking place away from Bismarck, ND. Sophomore midfielder Dina Polanco tallied 20 of the Marauders 37 goals and will be the key player for Bemidji State to shut down on Monday.
Bemidji State had a much different season that Mary did. Early on in the year it almost looked as if the Beavers could be fighting for a top four seed after five matches unbeaten to start NSIC play. After that run the Beavers fell off, including a loss to Minnesota State and falling at Mary 2–0 on 27 September.
#3 Minnesota-Duluth vs #6 Augustana (SD)
The Bulldogs are the only team in college soccer that can say they've defeated Minnesota State. A 3–0 win over the Mavericks in Duluth on 4 October was the high mark of UMD's 10-1-4 (W-D-L) NSIC campaign. With nine clean sheets on the season, Minnesota-Duluth has one of the best defenses in the conference. While their offence does not have a single player scoring double digit goals. It is UMD's stout defence that has pushed the Bulldogs into the number three seed in the playoffs.
Starting the season with a 2-1-0 record, Augie went 8-4-3 in conference play, including a loss to Mary and a draw with Minnesota State. In the lone regular season meeting with the Bulldogs the two sides drew one-all in Duluth, MN. The Vikings are a bubble team to make the NCAA Central Region tournament. While they may not have to win the NSIC playoffs, a good performance in the NSIC tournament is necessary for the Vikings to make the Central Region field.
#4 Northern State (SD) vs #5 Concordia-St. Paul
Northern State were another team that went 1-1-1 in non-conference play, then went on a tear to start the NSIC season. The Wolves went the first seven matches of the NSIC season unbeaten, before suffering their first loss to in-state rival Sioux Falls. Northern State finished the regular season with a 10-3-4 (9-3-3, NSIC) record thanks to a defence that allowed only 13 goals. Offence has not been the Wolves strong-suit as they scored just 25 goals, with no player scoring more than six.
Concordia-St. Paul had an ever so slightly better start winning once and drawing twice in non-conference play to start the season. In the Golden Bears NSIC opener on 11 September, they drew the Wolves in St. Paul, MN. From there it was an up and down rest of the regular season that saw CSP finish with a 9-6-3 (8-4-3, NSIC) record. The Golden Bear defence allowed just eleven goals across eighteen matches, giving them one of the best defenses in the conference. Senior midfielder Sophia Haase bagged 19 of CSP's 33 goals and should she be shut down by the Wolves, it will be hard for Concordia-St. Paul to get out of the first round.
