THIS WEEK
The University of Mary women's soccer team is on the road for the final full weekend of play in the 2026 Northern Sun season. The Marauders put their 10-game unbeaten streak on the line when UMary visits the University of Minnesota Crookston and MSU Moorhead.
 
Friday, October 23 at the University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles

• 3 pm at the UMC Soccer Field, Crookston, MN
• UMC is 0-10-5 overall / 0-9-3 Northern Sun (16^th place with 3 points)

 
Sunday, October 25 at MSU Moorhead Dragons

• 1 pm at Nemzek Soccer Field, Moorhead, MN
• MSUM enters weekend 3-10-2 overall / 2-9-1 Northern Sun (14^th place with 7 points)

 
MARAUDERS 5^th IN NPI CENTRAL REGION RANKINGS
For the second straight week the University of Mary ranks 5^th in the Central Region in the NCAA Women's Soccer NCAA Power Index (NPI), featuring games through October 18. The Marauders moved up one slot to 38^th in NCAA Division II out of 259 teams.
 
The primary purpose of NPI is to compare teams within NCAA Division II for ranking and NCAA championship selection. Once automatic qualifiers are determined, remaining teams are considered for at-large selection based on NPI ranking until the championship field is filled.
 
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), the Mid-America Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Great American Conference (GAC) make up the 36-team NCAA Central Region. The top eight teams in the region will advance to the NCAA region tournament. Automatic bids are granted to the winners of the MIAA, GAC and NSIC postseason tournaments, with the remaining five spots awarded on an at-large basis. The two top-seeded teams in each region shall be offered the opportunity to host, provided minimum site selection criteria are met and a bid has been submitted. 
 
The NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship provides for a 56-team, single-elimination tournament. The top eight teams in the central region will compete in the championship.
 
The top ten teams in the NPI from the Central Region are: Minnesota State, Washburn, Pittsburg State, Central Missouri, UMary, Northern State, Missouri Western, Central Oklahoma, Augustana and Bemidji State.
 
MARAUDERS REMAIN 5^th IN IWSOC REGIONAL RANKINGS
For a third straight week the Marauders rank 5^th in the 8^th NCAA D2 Central Region ranking of 2026 released by Intercollegiate Women's Soccer Organization for Coaches (IWSOC) in Partnership with United Soccer Coaches on October 20. UMary is one of four NSIC teams in the IWSOC regional rankings: Minnesota State (1), Northern State University (6) and St. Cloud State University (10).
 
THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 10-2-3 overall and are 2^nd in the NSIC with a record of 9-1-2 for 29 points.
 
FOLLOW LIVE
Links to live stats and video are available at www.goumary.com/coverage.
 
MARAUDERS WEBCASTS STREAMED LIVE ON NSIC NETWORK POWERED BY MIDCO SPORTS NET
For the first time this season, all Northern Sun and Marauders home contests will stream live on the NSIC Network powered by Midco Sports Net. Games can be purchased individually for $10. To view all tournament games, consider purchasing a monthly subscription for $15 or an annual subscription for $79. Visit www.MidcoSportsPlus.com to subscribe today.
 
LAST WEEK
The Marauders increased their unbeaten streak to ten matches with a pair of home wins... UMary scored two early goals in a 2-0 win over SMSU on Senior Recognition Day. Boyth UMary seniors, Chloe Brand and Payton Kooiman, set up Dina Polanco for a goal at 3'. Ivy Wessel doubled the lead with a counter off a corner kick at 13'. UMary's defense held SMSU to two shots with neither on goal... The Marauders then rallied for a 2-1 win over USF. The Cougars scored early in the second half before a Polanco goal to 70:00 evened the game. Maggie Bono then drew a foul inside the 18-yard box in the 79'. Polanco delivered on the penalty kick to give UMary its first lead of the day. 
 
TEN
The Marauders are undefeated over their last ten games. The 10-game unbeaten streak equals the longest streak since starting NCAA and NSIC play in 2006. UMary had a 10-match unbeaten run in 2022.
 
TEN PART TWO
The Marauders will finish with a winning record again in 2026, making this the 10^th straight season for UMary without a losing record. The Marauders have finished with a break-even or better every season since 2017.
 
9^th STRAIGHT NSIC TOURNEY BERTH CLINCHED
The Marauders have clinched an NSIC tournament berth for a ninth straight year.
 
ON THE HORIZON
UMary will clinch a home NSIC playoff game by earning two or more points over the final three games of the regular season (wins = three points, draw = 1 point) or a loss and/or draw by Minnesota Duluth, Bemidji State and Augustana.
 
The 8-team NSIC Tournament opens Monday, November 2, at the home fields of the top four finishers in the regular season standings. The highest remaining seed after the first round will host both the semifinals (Friday, November 6) and the NSIC championship game (Sunday, November 8, at 2 pm). The tournament champion earns an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.
 
UMARY LOOKS TO SET ATTENDANCE RECORD IN HOME FINALE OCTOBER 29
The Marauders look to set a single game attendance record when UMary closes out the regular season on Thursday, October 29, with a 5 pm meeting with HWY 83 rival Minot State University. Tailgating starts at 4 pm. The first 200 fans wearing Marauders gear or blue and orange receiving a sensory cube.
 
HISTORY LESSON
UMary vs. UMC

• The Marauders are 13-2-4 against the Golden Eagles since beginning NCAA and NSIC play in 2006
• UMary owns a 9-match unbeaten string (7-0-2).
• UMary is 7-0-3 at home and 6-2-1 at UMC
• During the 9-match unbeaten stretch the Marauders have allowed to goals to the Golden Eagles

 
UMary vs. MSU Moorhead

• UMary is 17-0-4 against the Dragons since beginning NCAA and NSIC play in 2006
• The Marauders are 8-0-4 record at home and 9-0-0 outside of Bismarck
• UMary has won the last two meetings by identical 4-0 scores

 
NSIC NAMES POLONCO OFFENSIVE PLAYER THE WEEK
A pair of game-winning goals and three counters total earned University of Mary forward Dina Polanco Northern Sun Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time.
 
The sophomore opened the weekend with a goal just 2:26 into the Marauders 2-0 victory over visiting Southwest Minnesota State University.
 
The Guatemalan national team player was even more impressive on Sunday as she helped the Marauders rally for a 2-1 win over the University of Sioux Falls with two goals in the final 20 minutes of play. Following a scramble off a corner kick, Polanco buried a feed from Alex Guinn to even the score at 70:00. Less than nine minutes later after Maggie Bono was fouled in the 18-yard box, Polanco found the net on a penalty kick for the winning goal and clinching a spot for UMary in the NSIC tournament.
 
POLANCO LOCKED IN
Marauders all-conference and all-region midfielder is dialed in with 14 goals in 15 matches. She also has two assists for 30 points this season. Polanco leads the NSIC in points (30), goals (14) and game-winning goals (7). She also leads the NSIC in shots (4.93/game) and shots on goal (2.47/game).
 
POLANCO LEADS NCAA D2 IN GANE-WINNING GOALS
Dina Polanco leads NCAA D2 in game-winning goals (7), ranks 7^th in total goals (14), 9^th in goals/game (.93), 10^th in total points (30) and is 15^th in points/game (2.0).
 
Polanco is one goal shy of tying the program record for most goals scored in an NCAA season and three points shy of the points mark. Megan Wilson had 15 goals and 33 points in 2007. Alex Bachman-Williams produced 31 points in 2011.
 
GOAL ROLL
Dina Polanco is second in goals (14) and third in points (30) for a single season since UMary began NCAA and NSIC play on 2006.
 
Polanco is the fourth Marauder to score 10 or more goals in an NCAA season, joining Megan Wilson (15 in 2007), Alex Bachman-Williams (13 in 2011), and Olivia Gardner (10 in 2024 and 2025).
 
And with 30 points this season, she is the 6^th player to post 20 or more points in a season, joining Megan Wilson (33 points in 2007), Alex Bachman-Williams (31 in 2011, 20 in 2012 and 2013), Jessica Janusz (25 points in 2008, 22 in 2006), Olivia Gardner (21 in 2025) and Jade Smith (20 in 2017). Polanco also had 21 points in 2025.
 
In program history, Polanco's 14 goals ranks 10^th while her 30 points is 11^th. Nicole Benedict owns the single season record for goals with 27 in 2003. The single-season points record is 61 by Kate Theisz in 1997.
 
BRAND NAME
Chloe Brand continues to show her ability to generate offense from the back line. The senior defender and team captain is third in the NSIC with five assists. Brand shined in back-to-back games with an assist on the game-winning goal at Jamestown before scoring the game-winning goal with 24 seconds remaining in the Marauders 1-0 win over Northern State. Last season the All-NSIC player posted three goals and two assists.
 
KEEPING IT CLEAN
The Marauders have seven shutouts this season. Freshman goalkeeper Elena Van Heukelom earned a clean sheet in her first collegiate start. The native of Seeshaupt, Germany, made five saves in the Marauders 3-0 win over MSU Billings. Kadyn Dilger now has five clean sheets this season and 13 career shutouts after the Marauders defeated Concordia-St. Paul, Winona State, Minnesota Duluth and Northern State by identical 1-0 scores and a 2-0 win over Bemidji State. Dilger was the NSIC goalkeeper of the week after the clean sheets against the Warriors and the Bulldogs. Dilger and Van Heukelom shared a shutout in a 2-0 win over SMSU.
 
FIRSTS
A trio of freshman have scored Marauders goals this season. Alex Guinn, Cate Jenesa and Lily Schatz (2 goals) have all tallied counters in their first collegiate season.
 
DEBUTS
The Marauders have had 14 players make their UMary debut this season: Alex Guinn, Cate Jesena, Lillian Schatz, Matilda Walker, Portia Casci, Josey Hall, Sofia Larranaga, Johanna Menge, Gabriella Newell, Mia Stretcha, Elena Van Heukelom, Alejandro Vargas, Camdyn Varty and Ivy Wessel. All are freshmen except for Wessel and Walker, both sophomores who transferred to UMary this season.
 
ALL AROUND THE WORLD
UMary features eight international students: Chloe Brand (England), Johanna Menge (Germany), Dina Polanco (Guatemala), Mia Strecha (Austria), Emmy Strobel (Germany), Elena Van Heukelom (Germany), Alejandra Vargas (Spain) and Matilda Walker (England).
 
DON'T LEAVE EARLY
The Marauders are never out of a game, twice scoring with less than 90 seconds to earn a draw and once with 24 seconds to earn a win. Dina Polanco scored off a feed from Maggie Bono with 65 seconds left in the opener to earn a 1-1 draw with Western Oregon… In the NSIC opener, the Marauders trailed the Huskies 2-0 with under 5:00 to play. Polanco took a feed from Chloe Brand with 4:17 to play to cut the UMary deficit in half. With 34 seconds left Polanco delivered a penalty kick to earn a draw… Chloe Brand scored the game-winner off an Addison Massey assist with 24 seconds left to defeat Northern State 1-0.
 
POLANCO EARNS SPOT ON TEAM GUATEMALA
UMary sophomore midfielder Dina Polanco is a native of Guatemala is a member of her country's national team. Polanco played in World Cup-qualifying matches for her home country and contributed goals in multiple games.
 
WE'RE BACK
The Marauders return 13 players from last season:

• Seniors Chloe Brand, Payton Kooiman and Kadyn Sharpe
• Juniors Maicee Burke, Kadyn Dilger, Bella Kozlowski and Harlee Peltz
• Sophomores Maggie Bono, Addison Massey, Dina Polanco, Emmy Strobel, Sarah Weaver and Ivy Wessel.

 
118
Marauders head coach Sarah Cook earned her 100th victory at UMary in the Marauders 2-1 overtime win at St. Cloud State University in the 2024 NSIC quarterfinals and now owns 118 wins. A member of the Marauders Hall of Fame after earning All-American honors three times as a scholar-athlete, Cook is in her 14th season after taking over leadership of the program prior to the 2012 season. She is the program record-holder for career coaching wins.
 
CLASS BREAKDOWN

• 3 seniors
• 4 juniors
• 7 sophomores
• 14 freshmen

 
2026 NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

• WESSEL NAMED NSIC DEFENDER OF THE WEEK FOR HER MARAUDERS DEBUT

Ivy Wessel made an immediate impact for the University of Mary, earning Northern Sun Soccer Defender of the Week honors in her first match with the Marauders. A sophomore from Rosemount, MN, Wessel played a prominent role in the Marauders 1-1 draw against visiting Western Oregon University in the season opener. UMary held the Wolves, who qualified for the NCAA tournament last year, to nine shots overall and just three on frame. Wessel, a transfer from Loras College, came off the bench to play 67 minutes. While on the pitch, Wessel and the UMary defense allowed five total shots with only one on goal.

• POLANCO, PELTZ EARN NSIC HONORS FOR MARAUDERS WEEKEND SWEEP

A University of Mary home sweep by identical 1-0 scores earned Dina Polanco and Harlee Peltz Northern Sun Women's Soccer Player of the Week honors. Polanco was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring the lone goal in each game. The sophomore midfielder scored in the 15th minute of the Marauders win over Concordia-St. Paul and on a free kick in the 39th minute of a UMary victory against Winona State University.
 
Peltz claimed NSIC Defensive Player of the Week recognition after leading a Marauders backline that never conceded a goal in the two wins. The junior defender from Albertville, MN, played all 180 minutes on the weekend and led a back line that held the two opponents to a combined 13 total shots with just two on frame. The Golden Bears managed just 10 shots with two on frame. The Marauders tightened the clamps even further on Winona State as the Warriors were held to three total shots, none of which were on goal.

• DILGER NAMED NSIC GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK Kadyn Dilger was named the Northern Sun Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week after leading UMary to a pair of shutout wins. The junior made ten saves – several of the spectacular variety – over the weekend as the Marauders earned a 1-0 win over the University of Minnesota Duluth and 2-0 over Bemidji State University. She had six saves and faced 10 shots against the Bulldogs. Dilger followed with a 4-save clean sheet against the Beavers.

 
POLANCO NAMED UMARY OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH IN 2026
Sophomore midfielder Dina (pronounced DEE nah) Polanco is the Marauders NSIC Offensive Player to Watch in 2026. Named the 2025 Northern Sun Newcomer of the Year, Polanco was selected to the All-NSIC first team as a midfielder. She was also honored as a first team D2CCA All-Central Region selection and was named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Women's All-Central Region third team to cap a tremendous freshman season. She was the first UMary player to earn first team all-region recognition since 2012… Polanco finished her freshman season nine goals and three assists for 21 points. She tied for the team lead in points and finished second in goals. Polanco had two game-winning goals and made both her penalty kicks. Her goal total was the most for a UMary freshman since 2007.
 
NSIC NAMES BRAND DEFENDER TO WATCH FOR UMARY IN 2026
Senior defender Chloe Brand the Marauders NSIC Defensive Player to Watch in 2026. In her first season at UMary, Brand made an immediate impact and was named to the 2025 All-NSIC second team. A valuable weapon on set pieces, the London, England, native scored three goals and had two assists. Two goals came directly off her corner kick service and the third was on a free kick. Additionally both assists came after she triggered a corner kick. Brand also anchored a Marauders defense that posted eight clean sheets and allowed just 20 goals in 19 games, the 6th-fewest in the NSIC. Overall the Marauders outscored the opposition 40-20.
 
UMARY PICKED 6^th IN NSIC PRESEAON COACHES' POLL
The Marauders are projected to finish sixth in 2026 in the NSIC Coaches' poll. Minnesota State topped the NSIC coaches' poll, followed by Concordia-St. Paul, Bemidji State, Augustana, St. Cloud State, UMary, Northern State, Minot State, Winona State, Minnesota Duluth, Wayne State, Sioux Falls, Southwest Minnesota State, Jamestown, Minnesota Crookston and MSU Moorhead.
 
2025 LOOKBACK
Head Coach Sarah Cook directed the Marauders to an eight straight Northern Sun tournament berth in 2025, the longest streak in program history. UMary has now gone nine straight seasons without a losing record. The Marauders own a winning record in seven of the last nine seasons and finished with a .500 or better record for the last night years.

• The Marauders led the NSIC in scoring last year with 2.1 goals/game
• UMary set a new NCAA Division II program record for goals in a single season with 40 in 19 games. The old mark was 39 in 23 games in 23 games.
• Freshman Dina Polanco was the NSIC Newcomer of the Year and was an All-NSIC 1^st team selection at midfield. She also earned All-Central Region honors by D2CCA (1^st team) and the United Soccer Coaches (3^rd team).
• Senior forward Olivia Gardner earned 2^nd team All-NSIC recognition for a third straight year
• Junior defender Chloe Brand was named to the All-NSIC 2^nd team in her first season at UMary
• Kayden Dilger posted eight clean sheets and earned NSIC Goalkeeper of the Week honors

 
32^nd SEASON OF MARAUDERS SOCCER
2026 is the 32^nd season of University of Mary women's soccer. The Marauders took to the pitch for the first time in 1995.
 
VISIT UMARYTICKETS.COM FOR TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets online for all Marauders sporting events at www.UMaryTickets.com 
 
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