Team pregame huddle
Clare Trinh

Women's Soccer Brian Larson, Asst. Atheltics Director - Communications

Final regular season road trip on tap as Marauders head to WSU, CSP

THIS WEEKEND
The University of Mary soccer team embarks on their final road trip of the regular season with a visit to Winona State University and Concordia-St. Paul. The Marauders first face the Warriors at 5 pm on Friday, October 25, in Winona, MN. The road schedule wraps up on Sunday, October 27, when the Marauders and the Golden Bears square off at 1 pm in St. Paul, MN.
 
THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 7-2-3 overall and 5-1-3 in the Northern Sun. UMary is 5th in the NSIC with 18 points… Winona State is 5-5-1 overall and 4-5 in the NSIC (9th place with 12 points)… Concordia-St. Paul 7-3-3 overall and 5-3-1 in the NSIC (7th place with 16 points).    
 
FIVE
The Marauders started the second half pf the conference season by earning four points in the Northern Sun standings with a win and a tie on the road. UMary is now down to five games in the regular season with two road games this weekend before playing the last three at home. Currently in 5th but one point out of second place, the Marauders are making a run to host a tournament game. The top eight finishers qualify for the NSIC postseason tournament with the top four hosting in the first round. The top remaining seed after the first round hosts the semifinals and conference championship game.  
 
NINE
The Marauders rank 9th in the 7th NCAA Division II Central Region poll of the 2024 season by United Soccer Coaches. UMary moved up one slot after entering the USC rankings at #10 the prior week.
 
HISTORY
Since 2009 the Marauders are 4-8-2 against the Warriors but is undefeated in the last three meetings (2 wins, 1 tie). UMary defeated WSU 2-0 in Bismarck, ND, last season. In their last visit to Winona, MN, the Marauders earned a scoreless draw in 2022… UMary is 10-3-2 against CSP since 2009. The Marauders have won four straight games against the Golden Bears, including two wins last season. UMary earned an improbable 2-1 win at home, scoring twice in the final three minutes on an Ava Vizenor penalty kick and a Mo Malone free kick with 62 seconds left in the game. UMary then defeated CSP 1-0 in the NSIC semifinals on a goal by Olivia Gardner in the 80th minute.
 
LAST WEEK
The Marauders opened up a four-game road trip by earning four points in the NSIC standings. The Marauders downed Minnesota Crookston 1-0 on a goal by Olivia Gardner in the 83rd minute. UMary then earned a 1-1 draw at Bemidji State University, which holds down second place in the NSIC and is one point ahead of the Marauders. Maicee Burke scored her first career goal in the first half. UMary limited BSU to three shots on frame after holding UMC two shot shots on frame to open the weekend.
 
FOLLOW LIVE
Links to live stats and video found at www.goumary.com/coverage
 
SEVEN HEAVEN
The Marauders own seven shutouts in 12 games this season. UMary allowed one goal in the season opener before recording five straight clean sheets. For the season the Marauders have allowed seven goals in 12 games while scoring 18. The Marauders .92 Scoring Margin/game is 4th in the NSIC. UMary's goals against average of 0.58 is 3rd-best in the league.
 
PICK SIX
After posting 10 shutouts last season, the second-most by an individual in a single season at UMary, senior goalkeeper Molly Fischer has six this season already to her credit and played 80 of 90 minutes in the Marauders seventh clean sheet this season.
 
96
Marauders head coach Sarah Cook earned her 96th victory at UMary in the Marauders 1-0 win at Minnesota Crookston. A member of the Marauders Hall of Fame after earning All-American honors three times, Cook is in her 13th season after taking over leadership of the program prior to the 2012 season and is the program record-holder for career coaching wins.
 
GOAL!
The Marauders are 4th in the NSIC in scoring, generating 18 goals in 12 games, an average of 1.5 goals/game. 
 
IMPACT
Rachel Gensch has made an impact on the Marauders attack in her first year at UMary. The transfer from Sierra College owns three goals and five assists this season for 11 points in nine games. She has three multi-point games (goal and assist against Black Hills State and MSU Moorhead, goal and two assists against Emporia State). The Rocklin, CA, native is second in the NSIC in points per game at 1.22.  
 
WINNER
Olivia Gardner has posted an NSIC-high three game-winning goals this season. The all-NSIC forward is 8th in the NSIC in scoring with 0.83 points/game (three goals, four assists).
 
ON THE ATTACK
The Marauders feature five of the top 19 scorers in the NSIC this season.
  • Rachel Gensch is 2nd at 1.22 points/game (3G 5A)
  • Olivia Gardner is 8th in scoring at .83 points/game (3G 4A)
  • Rio Spruenken (3G 3A for 9 points) is 11th at 0.75 points/game
  • Maliah Burke (3G 2A) is 15th at .67 points/game
  • Allison Lepp is 19th at .58 points/game (3 goals 1 assist).
 
NUMBERS (NCAA RANKINGS) - TEAM
#10 corner kicks/game (7.25)
#20 Shots on goal/game (9.1)
#26 Shutout percentage (.58)
#26 Goals Against Average (0.58)
#29 Assists/game (1.75)
#30 Shots/game (17.25)
 
NUMBERS (NCAA RANKINGS) – INDIVIDUAL
Rachael Gensch
#14 Assists/game (0.56)
#40 Assists (5)
 
Olivia Gardner
#22 Game-winning goals (3)
 
Molly Fisher
#14 Goals against average (0.433)
#25 shutouts (6)
#38 Save Percentage (0.848)
 
SENIORS
The Marauders honored nine seniors on Senior Day, Friday, Oct. 11. The nine seniors are Molly Fischer, Ava Vizenor, Andi Hunsicker, Sophia Lange, Mo Malone, Amélie Faa, Kendra Park, Mary Meeks and Kaitlyn Schwass (Student Manager). Fischer, Lange, Vizenor, Park and Meeks played their entire careers at UMary. Hunsicker and Malone competed three seasons and Faa two after transferring to UMary. Schwass also has been at UMary her entire collegiate career, playing two seasons on the pitch.
 
2024 MARAUDERS NSIC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
  • Allison Lepp was named the NSIC Defender of the Week Sept. 16after UMary defeated regional power Emporia Satet 3-0. The defender from Minot, ND, organized a Marauders effort that held the Hornets to three total shots with only two on frame in the win.
  • Mo Malone was the NSIC Defender of the Week Sept. 23 after the Marauders defeated Minot State 1-0 and MSU Moorhead 4-0. The Marauders allowed just 15 shots in two games with only five shots on frame (8 and 3 by the Beavers, 7 and 2 by the Dragons).
  • Molly Fischer was the NSIC Goalkeeper of the Week Sept. 23 after a perfect weekend in goal, stopping all five shots she faced. She made three saves in a 1-0 win over Minot State and two in a 4-0 win at MSU Moorhead.
 
CAPTAINS
Seniors Mo Malone and Ava Vizenor are the Marauders 2024 team captains.
 
DEBUTS
Making their UMary debuts this season are transfers Rachel Gensch and Allison Lepp and freshmen Maddy Barnick, Maicee Burke, Kylan Campbell, Kadyn Dilger, Siobhan Kaufmann, Bella Kozlowski, Harlee Peltz and Elizabeth Schmidt.
 
2007 UMARY WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM INDUCTED INTO MARAUDERS HALL OF FAME
The 2007 UMary Women's Soccer team was inducted into the Marauders Hall of Fame on Friday, October 4, and honored prior to the UMary win over Augustana. Combining an impenetrable defense with a formidable attack, the 2007 Marauders permanently etched their name in the school's history book as the first UMary team in any sport to qualify for an NCAA tournament. The team tied the school record for wins (16) and won the NSIC tournament for a second straight year.
 
MALONE VOTED NSIC PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mo Malone is the 2024 NSIC Soccer Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The senior defender earned prestigious recognition in a vote by the league coaches. Twice an All-NSIC second team selection, Malone is the first Marauders scholar-athlete to earn NSIC Soccer Preseason Player of the Year honors.
 
The Placentia, CA, native led one of the top defenses in the Northern Sun over the past two years and finished among NSIC leaders in assists in 2023. Malone distributed six helpers – including the lone assist on the only goal in the NSIC semifinal game – to top the Marauders and rank 4th in the NSIC.
 
Malone also scored two goals her junior season, both game-winners. She posted the only counter in a 1-0 win over MSU Moorhead off a corner kick and delivered the winning blow with 52 seconds left on a direct free kick in a 2-1 victory against Concordia-St. Paul. She has totaled ten points on the season and has earned NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
A United Soccer Coaches All-Central Region 3rd team selection, Malone helped the UMary defense keep 10 clean sheets.
 
GARDNER NAMED UMARY'S NSIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH
Olivia Gardner, one of the most dangerous attackers in the Northern Sun, is the NSIC Offensive Player to Watch for UMary. The junior forward from Winona, MN, Gardner scored a team-leading eight goals in 2023, while also pacing UMary in game-winning goals (4) and points (16). She ranked third in the NSIC in goals and game-winners and eighth in points. Gardner posted the winning counter in each of the Marauders playoff wins, a 2-0 victory at Northern State and a 1-0 win over Concordia-St. Paul in the semifinals.
 
UMARY PICKED 4TH IN NSIC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
The Marauders are projected to finish 4th in the 15-team league in the 2024 NSIC Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll. Under the direction of Head Coach Sarah Cook, who is in her 13th season at the helm of the Marauders, UMary placed 5th in conference action last year before earning a spot in the title game.
 
EXPERIENCE
The Marauders return 21 players from last year's squad, including 16 who earned at least one start throughout the year and nine of ten players who made at least 10 starts. Returning primary starters include seniors Ava Vizenor (3 years as a starter), Mo Malone (2), Mary Meeks (1), Sophia Lange (2), Molly Fisher (1), juniors Kendra Park (1), Tara Young (2), MaLiah Burke (1), Rio Spruenken (2), Olivia Gardner (2) and sophomore Kadyn Sharpe (1).
 
CLASS BREAKDOWN
9 seniors
8 juniors
6 sophomores
8 freshmen
 
NEWCOMERS
The Marauders welcome ten new players to the squad, including transfers Allison Lepp and Rachel Gensch. The other eight are true freshmen.
 
SIX STRAIGHT
The Marauders have qualified for the last six NSIC postseason tournaments.
 
30th SEASON OF MARAUDERS SOCCER
This is the 30th season of University of Mary women's soccer. The Marauders took to the pitch for the first time in 1995.
 
2023 REWIND
The Marauders finished the 2023 season 10-8-3 overall and 7-5-2 in the Northern Sun (5th place). UMary advanced to the NSIC tournament championship as the 6th seed, the Marauders first appearance in the league title game since 2007… Mo Malone (D), Eli Olsen (D), Ava Vizenor (M) and Olivia Gardner (F) all earned 2024 All-NSIC 2nd team honors… Olsen (1st team) and Malone (2nd) earned spots on the USC All-Central Region team… The Marauders finished with 10 clean sheets, including two in the NSIC tournament, with Molly Fischer recording all ten. The ten shutouts in a single season is the second-most by an individual player in program history.  Kristen Werner posted 11 shutouts in 2004. Rachel Dietrich also had 10 in 1997.
 
TICKETS FAQ
Fans who purchase tickets online receive a discount over tickets purchased at the gate. Single game adult soccer tickets are $10 plus fees when fans buy online at www.UMaryTickets.com or via the Hometown Fan app. Tickets for seniors (ages 65 and older) and youth (ages 13-18) are $5 plus fees.
  • Single game soccer tickets purchased at the gate are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and youth.
  • Children under the age of 13 are free when accompanied by an adult. Unaccompanied children ticket prices are $5.
  • Tickets purchased at the gate are CASH ONLY transactions. Debit and credit cards 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.
 
 #marauders#
 
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Eli Olsen

#22 Eli Olsen

D
5' 10"
Senior
MaLiah Burke

#11 MaLiah Burke

F
5' 7"
Junior
Molly Fischer

#27 Molly Fischer

GK
5' 8"
Senior
Olivia Gardner

#24 Olivia Gardner

F
5' 7"
Junior
Andi Hunsicker

#23 Andi Hunsicker

F
5' 4"
Senior
Sophia Lange

#5 Sophia Lange

D
5' 7"
Senior
Mo Malone

#8 Mo Malone

D
5' 6"
Senior
Mary Meeks

#4 Mary Meeks

D
5' 7"
Senior
Kendra Park

#12 Kendra Park

F
5' 4"
Senior
Kadyn Sharpe

#10 Kadyn Sharpe

M
5' 8"
Sophomore
Rio Spruenken

#18 Rio Spruenken

M
5' 7"
Junior
Ava Vizenor

#19 Ava Vizenor

D
5' 5"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Eli Olsen

#22 Eli Olsen

5' 10"
Senior
D
MaLiah Burke

#11 MaLiah Burke

5' 7"
Junior
F
Molly Fischer

#27 Molly Fischer

5' 8"
Senior
GK
Olivia Gardner

#24 Olivia Gardner

5' 7"
Junior
F
Andi Hunsicker

#23 Andi Hunsicker

5' 4"
Senior
F
Sophia Lange

#5 Sophia Lange

5' 7"
Senior
D
Mo Malone

#8 Mo Malone

5' 6"
Senior
D
Mary Meeks

#4 Mary Meeks

5' 7"
Senior
D
Kendra Park

#12 Kendra Park

5' 4"
Senior
F
Kadyn Sharpe

#10 Kadyn Sharpe

5' 8"
Sophomore
M
Rio Spruenken

#18 Rio Spruenken

5' 7"
Junior
M
Ava Vizenor

#19 Ava Vizenor

5' 5"
Senior
D