BISMARCK, ND – The long-awaited season opener for the University of Mary women's soccer team is nearly here. After the 2020 fall season was cancelled due to the pandemic and followed by an abbreviated four-game spring schedule, the Marauders look to go full throttle when UMary hosts MSU Billings on Monday, Sept. 6. Game time for the Labor Day matchup between non-conference foes Marauders and Yellowjackets is 7 pm at the MDU Resources Bowl.
As the game kicks off the first week of classes this fall at the University of Mary, bus transportation is available to UMary students from campus to the game. Starting at 6 pm and continuing every 30 minutes, students can hop on one of the Marauders buses to the game. Buses will also be leaving the MDU Resources Community Bowl to campus every 30 minutes. After the game, the first bus departs for UMary 10 minutes after the final whistle. The final bus returning to campus departs 30 minutes after the game is concluded.
The Marauders look to extend their run of three straight Northern Sun post-season appearances behind a veteran side. Of the 28 scholar-athletes on the roster, 13 played for Head Coach
Sarah Cook and UMary in 2019 when the Marauders finished 11-4-3 overall and 9-4-2 in Northern Sun play to finish 6th in the league standings.
Hannah Richter paces the Marauders offense. A native of Bismarck, ND, the senior forward has started for UMary since arriving on campus. A defender as a freshman, Richter moved to striker as a sophomore. As a junior she exploded for seven goals – including three game-winners – and five assists for 19 points in 2019 to earn All-Northern Sun first team honors.
Anchoring the defense is
Cassidy Pierce. A four-year starter, Pierce earned 3
rd team All-NSIC in 2019 after anchoring a smothering defense that held opponents to just 0.53 goals/game.
Goalkeeper Madisyn Waltmn and defender
Samantha Guzman also claimed all-league honors in 2019. Waltman earned second team recognition as a sophomore after posting nine clean sheets in 18 games and registering the 19th best goals against average in the nation. She owns 17 shutouts in two seasons. Guzman, now a senior, received honorable mention accolades in her first season at UMary after scoring three goals.
Other key offensive players back for the Marauders include
Maureen Sullivan, who scored five goals in 2019, and senior
Emma Davies and sophomore Noelle Vignieri, both of whom found the net three times in UMary's last full season. Additionally
Yasmina Dokara struck for three goals in four games last spring.
MSU Billings finished 2019 with a record of 6-9-2 overall with a 5-7 record in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). Senior captains Haylee Gunter and Lexie Bloyder lead the Yellowjackets charge. Gunter had four goals and ten points in 2019 and Bloyder owns five goals in her career. MSUB finished last spring with a 4-5 record, including a 3-0 neutral site win over the Marauders.
This is the first of two meetings between the Marauders and the Yellowjackets this season, The two teams meet again on Saturday, Sept. 11 at the Rimrock Classic in Billings, MT.
Follow live game stats and video online at
www.goumary.com/coverage.
Tickets for all Marauders home soccer games are available online at
www.UMaryTickets.com.
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