THIS WEEK
The University of Mary women's soccer team wraps up the 2023 regular season at Northern State University in a match chock full of playoff implications. Game time between the Marauders and the Wolves is 5:30 pm in Aberdeen, SD.
IN
The Marauders earned a spot in the NSIC Tournament with their win over Wayne State College on Sunday. This is the sixth straight season UMary has qualified for the 8-team conference tournament. The opening round of the NSIC tournament is slated for Monday, November 6, with the top four teams in the final standings hosting. The top remaining seed after the first round hosts the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 10, and the championship game Sunday, November 12.
 
RECORDS
The Marauders are 8-6-3 overall and 7-4-2 for 23 points in the Northern Sun. UMary is tied with Augustana four 4^th place in the NSIC… Northern State is 8-3-5 overall and 7-1-5 in the NSIC. The Wolves are 3^rd in the NSIC with 26 points.  
 
ON THE LINE

• The Marauders could finish anywhere from 3^rd to 7^th in the NSIC final standings
• A win by the Marauders over the Wolves pushes UMary into a tie for 3^rd place in the NSIC standings and a chance to host a conference tournament game.
• A win by UMary and a loss by Augustana at Southwest Minnesota State earns the Marauders a home playoff game.
• Bemidji State can pass the Marauders with a Beavers win and a UMary loss or tie
• A win by the Marauders and the Vikings results in a 3-way tie for 3^rd place in the NSIC standings and the use of an abacus (or a very close reading of the NSIC soccer manual) to determine the order of finish

 
LAST WEEK
After winning four straight games – all at home – the Marauders went on the road and captured two more to extend their win streak to six and cement an NSIC tournament berth… UMary opened with a 4-0 win at the University of Sioux Falls as Grace Freimuth tallied twice and Olivia Gardner and Ashlyn Davison each added a counter. The Marauders held the Cougars to five shots (three on frame)… The Marauders wrapped up the weekend with a 1-0 win with Gardner scoring the lone goal in the first half and Molly Fischer making seven saves.
 
MOMENTUM
In six games – all wins - the Marauders have moved from 13^th in the conference to 4^th place with a shot at 3^rd.
 
GARDNER NAMED NSIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK OCTOBER 30
University of Mary forward Olivia Gardner, the hottest goal scorer on the hottest team in the Northern Sun, is the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Marauders to a pair of big road wins. Gardner opened the weekend with a second half goal that helped seal the win in UMary's 4-0 victory at the University of Sioux Falls on Friday. The Winona, MN, native scored the lone goal in UMary's 1-0 win at Wayne State College on Sunday to clinch a spot in the NSIC tournament for the Marauders. It was her team-leading third game-winning goal of the season.
 
MALONE NAMED NSIC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK OCTOBER 23
A big weekend in all facets of the game earned University of Mary co-captain Mo Malone Northern Sun Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honors as she led the Marauders to a weekend sweep. Malone had a game-winning goal against Concordia-St. Paul and assisted on the game-winner against Winona State University. The junior defender capped a stunning comeback in the Marauders 2-1 win over Concordia-St. Paul as UMary was held scoreless until the 88th minute. Malone drilled a 25 yard direct free kick just inside the left post with 62 seconds on the clock to win the game. The native of Placentia, CA, then delivered a helper on the Marauders first goal of the game in a 2-0 win over Winona State. Malone also played a big role in UMary shutting down the opponent's attack. The Marauders limited the Golden Bears to four shots (two on frame) and eight for the Warriors (2 on frame). This is the first time the 2022 All-NSIC 2nd team performer has earned weekly honors from the Northern Sun. This is also the first time the Marauders have had a player earn weekly honors this season.
 
STIFLING
The Marauders defense has put the hurt on their opponents the last six games, allowing a total of two goals, 40 shots and 21 shots on frame.
 
ROLLING
The Marauders offense is rolling. During their current 6-game win streak the Marauders have posted multiple goals in five games and 13 total.
 
MORE MO
Team co-captain Mo Malone has played a key role in the Marauders attack this season. The all-conference performer bent home a corner kick in a 1-0 UMary win over visiting MSU Moorhead in non-conference action and scored the game-winner on a direct free kick with 62 seconds left in the 2-1 stunning victory over Concordia-St. Paul. She has also posted a team-leading five assists, with all coming in the last nine games. The defensive midfielder has also played a key role in the Marauders posting eight shutouts and allowing just a goal a game… Malone has two goals and five assists for nine points, second on the team. She is third in the NSIC in assists/game (.313), is 9th in game-winning goals (2) and 20th in points.
 
BLASTS BY BURKE
MaLiah Burke is second on the Marauders in goals (3), assists (3) and points (9).
 
GO GO GARDNER
Olivia Gardner leads the Marauders in creating scoring opportunities. The Marauders leader in goals with six, she paces the squad in shots attempted (45) and on frame (20). She has been hard for defenders to keep pace with since the start of NSIC play, launching eight shots in a draw with MSU Moorhead and seven in a win over SMSU. Snakebit during one stretch when the sophomore hit the frame at least five times in a 6-game stretch, Gardner is now one of the hottest scored in the league with four goals in three games. Gardner is 4th in the NSIC goals per game (.353) in shots/game (2.65).
 
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8
Molly Fischer has posted eight clean sheets this season to rank 2nd in the NSIC in shutouts/game (.471), 5^th in save percentage (.813) and 6^th in goals against average (.882).
 
1-2-3-4-5-6
The Marauders have now qualified for postseason play six straight seasons. 
 
FOLLOWING THE MARAUDERS
Visit www.GoUMary.com/coverage for links to webcasts and live stats for all Marauders sports.
 
29th SEASON OF MARAUDERS SOCCER
This is the 29th season of University of Mary women's soccer. The Marauders took to the pitch for the first time in 1995.
 
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