THIS WEEK
In the first home-and-away split weekend of the season for the University of Mary women's soccer team, the Marauders first host the University of Jamestown in the annual Cancer Awareness Game on Friday, October 17. Game time is 4 pm at the MDU Resources Community Bowl in Bismarck, ND.
 
UMary then makes a day trip to Aberdeen, SD, on Sunday, October 19, to face Northern State University. The Marauders match with the Wolves starts at 1 pm.
 
THE RECORDS
UMary is 4-4-3 overall and 2-3-3 (9 points/11^th place) in NSIC play in 2025… Jamestown is 2-8-0 overall and 2-6-0 (6 pts/13^th place) in the NSIC… Northern State is 3-6-2 overall and 3-3-2 (11 pts/8^th place) in the NSIC.
 
CANCER AWARENESS GAME
The Marauders host the Jimmies in UMary's annual Cancer Awareness Game on Friday, October 17. The Marauders will wear pink before the game and donations will be accepted on behalf of the Bismack Pink Ladies, which is a community helping support men, women & children battling cancer in BisMan & surrounding areas. "You don't have to fight alone."
 
WEEK SIX REWIND
Clicking in all facets of the game, the Marauders picked up their first two Northern Sun wins of the season in dominating fashion. UMary opened with a 7-0 rout of Wayne State College, who had allowed just six goals in their first nine games of the season. Also one of the top-scoring teams in the NSIC, the Wildcats managed just five total shots and only one on frame. Bella Kozlowski opened the scoring with her first collegiate goal and Olivia Gardner and Theresa English both scored twice… On Sunday the Marauders downed 3^rd place Augustana 2-0. Augie entered the game as the #2 scoring team in the NSIC. After a scoreless first half in a game featuring 20 mph wins with 30+ mph wind gusts, Dina Polanco scored on a free kick in the 49' and Rachel Gensch sealed the win with a goal from distance in the 81'. Kadyn Dilger earned her second clean sheet of the weekend by stopping four shots and helping turn aside seven corner kicks by Augie.
 
OPPO RESEARCH
In their first season competing in the Northern Sun, the Jimmies have picked up both their wins in the last two weeks after dropping their first six game of the season. UJ beat SMSU 4-1 at home last Friday before Sioux Falls claimed a 2-0 victory. Wight players have scored a single goal for the Jimmies this season and three have a goal and an assist. Skylar Lind has a 1.96 GAA and a .776 save percentage with one shutout. Jamestown has been outscored 20-8… Northern State is tied for 8^th in the NSIC after a pair of home wins last weekend, 1-0 over USF and 2-0 over SMSU. The Wolves are undefeated over their last four games with three wins and a draw. Jaylee Hofer leads NSU with three goals. Ilee Neemeyer has played the last four games in goal for the Wolves.
 
HISTORY LESSON-UMARY VS. UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN

• One-time NAIA regional foes, the Marauders and the Jimmies have played twice since the Marauders made the move to NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun in the 2006 season
•  The Marauders and the Jimmies last played in 2006. UMary won the first meeting 5-0 at home on September 13. Jessica Janusz scored a brace to lead the Marauders efforts… The two teams met again Sept. 27 in Jamestown, ND, and played to a 2-2 draw. Janusz and Alyssa Deutscher both tallied for UMary. The Marauders looked to have the game in hand but the Jimmies scored twice in the final two minutes of play to gain a tie.
• The meeting Oct. 17 is the first NCAA and Northern Sun meeting between the two programs. Additionally this is the first-ever conference game between the two schools. UMary started women's soccer in 1995 and Jamestown in 1996 but there was no conference competition for the two I-94 rivals, just NAIA regional play.

 
HISTORY LESSON-UMARY VS. NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY

• Since the Marauders began NCAA Division II play and joined the Northern Sun for the 2006 season, UMary is 11-5-5 against Northern State
• After three straight games in Aberdeen, SD, the series returned to Bismarck, ND, last fall where UMary earned a 3-0 win. Sophia Lange and Olivia Gardner scored in the first 19 minutes and Molly Fischer made three saves for the clean sheet.
• UMary is 6-1-2 at home since 2006.

FOLLOW LIVE
Links to live stats and video are available at www.goumary.com/coverage
 
SEVEN GOALS TIES UMARY NCAA RECORD
The Marauders scored seven goals against Wayne State College ties UMary's NCAA era record for goals in a game. The mark was established in UMary's 7-0 win over Minnesota Crookston on October 14, 2019, in a game delayed three days due to a fall snowstorm.
 
DOUBLE DOUGHNUTS
The two weekend shutouts was a first for the Marauders this season. Twice last season UMary posted a pair of shutouts on the same weekend.
 
OFFENSE+DEFENSE=SUCCESS
The Marauders rank 5^th in the NSIC in goals scored/game (1.72) and 6^th in goals allowed per game (0.91)… UMary is 4^th in shutouts with five.  
 
DILGER SELECTED NSIC GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
After posting two clean sheets on Homecoming Weekend, University of Mary soccer goalkeeper Kadyn Dilger was named the Northern Sun's Goalkeeper of the Week. It is her first career selection for the weekly honor. Dilger, a sophomore, played all 180 minutes for the Marauders this past weekend as UMary secured its first two conference wins. She secured the one save she was asked to make in a one-sided 7-0 win over Wayne State on Friday to start her weekend. On Sunday, Dilger went on to shutout the Augustana Vikings in a 2-0 victory. Augustana came into the game as the highest scoring team in the NSIC. In that victory, the Marauders faced immense pressure in the first half with heavy winds blowing towards Dilger's net. The sophomore stood tall, making four saves and withstanding a barrage of offense that featured seven corner kicks.
 
Dilger currently has five shutouts to her name this season in her first year as the primary goalkeeper for the Marauders. That places her third in the Northern Sun's leaderboard in that category while missing two games earlier this season. Dilger is the first UMary goalie to win the award since Molly Fischer did so last year on Sept. 23. She is the youngest athlete to claim NSIC Goalkeeper of the Week for the Marauders.
 
DYNAMIC DINA
Freshman midfielder Dina (pronounced DEE nah) Polanco leads the Marauders in goals with six and is 4^th in the Northern Sun… Polanco had three goals in her first three collegiate games, all by different methods. The native of Guatemala scored her first career goal on a free kick in a 2-0 win over MSU Billings. In a 4-0 win at Washburn, Polanco blasted home a shot during the run of play for the opening goal of the day. Shortly after she drew a foul to earn a penalty kick opportunity which she converted for her second goal of the day and third of the season… Polanco has a team-high two game-winning goals.
 
GOALS BY GENSCH
Rachel Gensch is second on the Marauders in goals scored with three in eight games. Over the course of 19 games in her UMary career, the senior forward has six goals and six assists for 18 points. Her average of .375 goals/game is 11^th this season in the NSIC.
 
GARDNER GOES GANGBUSTERS
All-Northern Sun forward Olivia Gardner posted a pair of goals in a 7-0 win over Wayne State College. She is now tied for 2^nd in goals for UMary this season with three. Twice a 2^nd team all-conference selection, the senior quad-captain has 18 goals in her career and six assists for 42 points.   
 
CLEAN UP ON AISLE NUMBER ONE
Kadyn Dilger has started nine games in goal for the Marauders this season and owns five shutouts after making a pair of appearances for UMary as a freshman in 2024. Dilger posted clean sheets in a 2-0 win over MSU Billings, a 4-0 victory at Washburn, a 0-0 draw at Winona State. A 7-0 win over Wayne State and a 2-0 win over Augie.  The sophomore is 3^rd in the NSIC in shutouts and 5^th in goals against average (0.778).  
 
SEVEN HEAVEN
The Marauders have qualified for postseason play seven straight seasons and eight times total under the helm of head coach Sarah Cook. The seven straight NSIC tournament appearances ties the longest streak in program history when UMary qualified for the postseason its first seven years in the league (2006-2012).
 
EIGHT STRAIGHT
After recording a record of 11-4-4 overall in 2024, the Marauders posted double digit wins for the third straight year and own winning record in six of eight seasons and finished with a .500 or better record for the eighth straight season.


DEBUTS
Nine Marauders made their UMary debuts against MSU Billings: Maggie Bono, Chloe Brand, Theresa English, Lauren LaFountain, Addison Massey, Mia Melton, Dina Polanco, Emmy Strobel and Hanna Sutter. Newcomers Polanco, Sutter and Brand have all earned starts… Sophomore goalkeeper Kadyn Dilger made her first collegiate start after appearing in two games for the Marauders last season… Freshman goalkeeper Wiktoria Slupianek made her first two college starts against Minnesota State and St. Cloud State.

104
Marauders head coach Sarah Cook earned her 100^th victory at UMary in the Marauders 2-1 overtime win at St. Cloud State University in the 2024 NSIC quarterfinals and now owns 102 wins. A member of the Marauders Hall of Fame after earning All-American honors three times as a scholar-athlete, Cook is in her 14^th season after taking over leadership of the program prior to the 2012 season. She is the program record-holder for career coaching wins.
 
EXPERIENCE
The Marauders return 18 players from last year's squad, including 11 who earned at least one start throughout the year and six who made 14 or more. Returners with seven or more starts last season include seniors Tara Young (3 years as a starter), MaLiah Burke (2), Rio Spruenken (3), Olivia Gardner (3), Allison Lepp (1), Kira Hockley (1) and Rachel Gensch (1) and junior Kadyn Sharpe (2).
 
CLASS BREAKDOWN
9 seniors/graduates
7 juniors
5 sophomores
9 freshmen
 
ALL-NSIC RETURNERS
The Marauders return four of their six All-Northern Sun players from last season: Sr. D Allison Lepp (1^st team 2024), Sr. F Maliah Burke (2^ne team 2024), Sr. F Olivia Gardner (2nd team 2023, 2^nd team 2024) and Sr. M Rio Spruenken (2^nd team 2022, 2^nd team 2024).

31^st SEASON OF MARAUDERS SOCCER
This is the 31^st season of University of Mary women's soccer. The Marauders took to the pitch for the first time in 1995.
  
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