THIS WEEK
The University of Mary women's soccer team faces an impressively challenging weekend when the Marauders take on a pair of national powers in Mankato, MN, as both the University of Central Missouri and Grand Valley State University were ranked in the preseason polls.
 
The Marauders open the weekend against Grand Valley State at 1 pm on Friday, Sept. 8. UMary then wraps up its non-conference schedule against #20 Central Missouri at 11 am on Sunday, Sept. 10.
 
Hosted by #8 Minnesota State University at The Pitch in Mankato, MN, links to live stats and a live web stream is available at www.goumary.com/coverage.
 
RECORDS
The Marauders are 1-0-1 after a pair of nonconference home contests, playing Western Colorado to a scoreless draw before edging MSU Moorhead 1-0 on a Mo Malone goal… Grand Valley is 0-1-1 in two home matches… Central Missouri is 1-1-0, falling 1-0 to Augustana before defeating Southwest Minnesota State 3-0.
 
HISTORY
This is the first meeting between UMary and Grand Valley State… this is the sixth meeting between the Marauders and the Jennies with Central Missouri owning a 4-0-1 record in the series. The Jennies won the last meeting 7-0 in 2015. In 2014 the Marauders earned a 2-2 draw over the visiting Jennies as goaltender Shelby Buttron tied the game on a goal in the 81^st minute when she was moved in front of the Central Missouri goal for a corner kick and one-timed a rebound into the net. She also had five saves in the match.  
 
OPPOSITION RESEARCH
The Lakers finished last season 16-2-5 and advanced to the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship game and played Ferris State to scoreless draw. The Bulldogs advanced on penalty kicks. The offense is paced by Taylor Reid who posted 15 goals and two assists last year. Kendall Richardson is back after starting all 23 games in goal last year, posting a 0.59 goals against average. A young team this season with 10 freshmen, Grand Valley is 0-1-1 on the season… The Jennies went 19-2-2 last year and own five straight conference titles. Caroline Cole and Ashleigh Martin combined for 89 points while goalkeeper Sydney Beck started every game for Central Missouri and had a 0.86 goals against average.  
 
MORE MO
Team co-captain Mo Malone delivered the Marauders first goal of the season in the 19^th minute of game two when she bent home a corner kick in a 1-0 UMary win over visiting MSU Moorhead. The junior defender also played a key role in a pair of shutouts to start the season. Malone helped UMary limit Western Colorado to no goals on nine shots (five on frame). She was credited with a team save to preserve the draw with the Mountaineers after clearing away a shot nearing the goal line and about to be tapped into an empty net. On Monday the Dragons were held to five shots (four on frame). For the weekend the Marauders defense didn't allow a goal in two games, giving up 14 combined shots with nine on frame.
 
FISCHER'S PRICE
Part of a pair of shutouts last season, UMary goalkeeper Molly Fischer earned her first two career solo shutouts to open the 2023 season. The junior from Orland Park, IL, posted her first collegiate clean sheet in a scoreless draw with visiting Western Colorado, facing nine shots and posting four saves. The scoreless streak continued with a 1-0 non-conference home win over MSU Moorhead on Labor Day. She had four saves for the second straight game while seeing five shots total.
 
OLD
Returning 2022 starters Mo Malone, Eli Olsen, Rio Spruenken, Ava Vizenor and Tara Young and partime starters Olivia Gardner, Molly Fischer and Mary Meeks all took to the pitch for the opening kickoff for both of the Marauders first two games. Additionally Kendra Park, MaLiah Burke and Sophia Lange each started once.
 
NEW
A pair of newcomers - freshman Ashlyn Davison and Amélie Faa, a transfer from Clemson and sophomore Kira Hockley earned their first starts for UMary over opening weekend.
 
D-FENCE
One of the nation's leading defenses last season after allowing 0.63 goals per game and recording 11 clean sheets, the Marauders defense is off to a stellar start once again. Through two games and 180 minutes the Marauders have yet to allow a goal. UMary has given up a combined 14 shots total and nine on frame in two games.
 
FOLLOWING THE MARAUDERS
Visit www.GoUMary.com/coverage for links to webcasts and live stats for all Marauders sports.
 
TICKETS
Tickets for Marauders home games are available online at www.umarytickets.com or via the HomeTown Fan App for iOS and Android mobile devices.
 
PROJECTIONS
Northern Sun coaches expect UMary to extend its run of postseason appearances, picking the Marauders 5^th in the preseason coaches' poll while placing the Dragons 13^th … The Mountaineers are again expected to finish 9^th in the RMAC per the preseason coaches' poll.
 
EXPERIENCE
UMary returns 18 players from the 2022 season, including eight who started 13 or more contests and 14 who earned at least one start. Kendra Park, Eli Olsen, Mo Malone and Ava Vizenor return after starting all 19 games last year. Tara Young, Olivia Gardner, Rio Spruenken and MaLiah Burke each started at least 13 games.
 
2023 NSIC PLAYERS TO WATCH
Eli Olsen and Kenrda Park earned NSIC Players to Watch in 2023 for the Marauders. Park, a junior from Lake Havasu, AZ, has led the Marauders in goals in each of her two seasons at UMary… The forward found the net five times as a freshman before topping the charts with seven last year. She added three assists and totaled 17 points. Park also led the Marauders in points and game-winners (3). She finished the regular season 8th in the NSIC in goals, 9th in points and 4th in game-winners… Olson made an immediate impact on the Marauders in 2022 as she earned NSIC Defender of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks early in the season. A transfer from Charleston Southern University, Olsen scored three goals for UMary, including a couple of game-winners. She helped the Marauders post 11 clean sheets while limiting the opposition to 12 goals in 19 matches.
 
TRIO OF ALL-NSIC PLAYERS RETURN FOR MARAUDERS
Mo Malone and Rio Spruenken join Kendra Park as returning All-NSIC players as all three earned second team honors in 2022… A defender from Placentia, CA, Malone helped the Marauder post 11 shutouts in 19 games in her first season at UMary. Now a junior, the transfer from the University of Texas at El Paso scored a goal and added three assists last year… A sophomore midfielder from Krefeld, NRW, Germany, Spruenken added an extra dimension to the Marauders attack. In her first season at UMary, she posted two goals and dished five assists to finish with nine points in 17 games. Spruenken was 4th in the NSIC in assists and 13th in game-winning goals with two.
 
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.
 
2023-24 MARAUDERS TICKETING FAQs

• Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online at www.umarytickets.com or via the HomeTown
• Fan App for iOS and Android mobile devices
• Save money by purchasing tickets online
• $5 discount (minus fees) on tickets purchased online vs. purchases at the gate
• Tickets purchased at the gate are CASH ONLY transactions
• ATMs are located near the main ticketing gates for Marauders home game
• Debit and credit card purchases are online only at www.umarytickets.com or via the HomeTown Fan App
• UMary students and faculty and staff with their MCard are admitted FREE
• Youth 12 and younger with an adult are admitted FREE
• Any youth 12 and under unaccompanied by an adult are charged a $5 admission fee at the gate (cash only)
• All ticket sales are FINAL at time of purchase, whether online or at the gate

 
MARAUDERS HOME GAME TICKET PRICES | Soccer, basketball, hockey, track & field, volleyball and wrestling tickets

• Adults | $10 + fees online and $15 (CASH ONLY) at the gate
• Seniors (65+) and youth 13-18 | $5 + fees online and $10 (CASH ONLY) at the gate
• Children 12 and under accompanied by an adult | Free
• Children 12 and under with no adult present| $5

 
#marauders#