MSSU soccer opens schedule with matches against Southern Nazarene, Minnesota State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's soccer squad opens the 2019 season with a pair of non-conference matches beginning on Friday with a road trip to Southern Nazarene before heading off to Kansas City for a neutral site contest against No. 25 Minnesota State - Mankato on Sunday.

The Rundown

Friday: SNU - Wes Harmon Field (Wanda Rhodes Soccer Complex) - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: MSU - Swope Park Soccer Village - 1:00 p.m.

TV/Stream:

SNU: None
MSU - Mankato: None

Live Stats:

SNU: https://snuathletics.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
MSU - Mankato: https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary

What the Opponents are Bringing to the Battle!
Southern Nazarene (0-0)
Series: SNU leads, 2-0

Great American Conference ... finished sixth last season (3-15 overall / 2-10 GAC) ... picked fifth in its conference preseason poll ... retained three All-GAC selections from last season in sophomore defender Natalie James (2nd), sophomore forward Rebecca Moore (HM), and junior goalkeeper Ashlynn Pritchett (HM) ... three other starters join them with ten or more starts during the 2018 season ... began last season against an opponent from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) as the Northeastern State RiverHawks won 3-1 on the road ... head coach Julie Duncan enters her 11th season at the helm of the Storm with a .423 winning percentage (80-110-6) along with a GAC Regular Season Championship and Coach of the Year honor to close out the 2014 season.

No. 25 Minnesota State - Mankato (0-0)
Series: MSU leads, 1-0 (2003)

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference ... finished second last season (19-3-1 overall / 13-1-1 NSIC) ... picked to win the NSIC with 12 first place votes in its preseason coaches' poll ... retained two All-NSIC selections from last season in senior midfielder Alesha Duccini (1st) and senior forward Dakota Wendell (1st) ... Wendell returns as the leading scorer after scoring 17 goals and registering seven assists for a total of 41 points toward being named an All-American (1st) by the D2CCA and CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic squad to close out 2018 ... four other starters join them with ten or more starts ... the Mavericks recorded a 1-2 record against the MIAA last season after falling to No. 1 Central Missouri, 1-0, for its first loss of the year before first defeating Emporia State in overtime, 2-1 in the first round of the NCAA tournament and then ending their postseason with a 3-1 loss at Central Oklahoma two days later ... head coach Brian Bahl enters his seventh season at the helm of the Mavericks with a .854 winning percentage which includes five NSIC conference tournament and four regular-season championships during his tenure.

Next Stretch

The Lions return to Joplin for the home opener versus the Drury Panthers on Friday, Sept. 13 at 6:00 pm before taking on East Central Tigers in a 1:00 pm contest on Sunday, Sept. 15 as part of Youth Day throughout the match.