Women's Soccer | 10/4/2017 3:40:00 PM

Quick Notes:

• The North Dakota State women's soccer team returns home to the friendly confines of Dacotah Field to host a pair of Summit League matches Friday, Oct. 6, and Sunday, Oct. 8. The Bison are slated to take on Oral Roberts Friday night at 7 p.m. before facing Omaha Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
• The Bison have won the last two Summit League regular season titles (2015 and 2016).
• North Dakota State returns five starters from last season's Summit League regular season championship team, including All-Summit League honorees Holly Enderle, Monica Polgar and Mariah Haberle.

The Series Against Oral Roberts
        Friday's match against Oral Roberts will mark the 10th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 2007. The Bison lead the series, 6-2-1. Last season, NDSU defeated ORU on the road in Tulsa, Okla., 1-0, before losing to the Golden Eagles in the opening round of The Summit League tournament, 2-0.

The Series Against Omaha
        Sunday's contest against Omaha will be the 12th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1999. NDSU leads the series, 7-3-1. Last season, the Bison earned a 2-0 victory over the Mavericks in Omaha, Neb.

North Dakota State Notes

• North Dakota State enters the weekend with an overall record of 3-9-0 and a Summit League tally of 1-1-0 after falling at league preseason favorite Denver Oct. 1, 3-0.
• Juniors Hanna Norman and Malley O'Brien lead NDSU through 12 matches with two goals and four points each, while freshman Danielle Algera has one goal and a team-best two assists for four points. Freshman Brookelyn Dew has netted a goal, while junior Holly Enderle, and freshmen Malana Vachon and Marian Taiwo have each dished out one assist.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Monica Polgar is 3-4-0 with three shutouts in seven appearances and starts, and has allowed 11 goals while making 40 saves for a 1.81 goals-against average (GAA).
•  As a team, NDSU is averaging 0.58 goals per game while giving up 2.25 goals per game. The Bison are being outshot, 16.8 to 9.1.
• The Bison were picked to finish tied for second with South Dakota State in The Summit League Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll. Denver was tabbed the preseason favorite by just one-point.
• NDSU welcomes nine newcomers this season in freshmen Marian Taiwo (F), Danielle Algera (MF), Daniella Jasper (F/MF), Malana Vachon (MF), Brookelyn Dew (F/MF), Grace Sundberg (D), Ellen Schneider (D/MF) and Maddie Burnstein (D), and transfer Nicola De Pape (D).

About Oral Roberts

• The Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles enter Friday's match at 4-7-1 overall and 1-0-0 in Summit League  action after defeating Western Illinois Sept. 29 in Tulsa, Okla., 3-0.
• Through 12 contests, sophomore forward Jordan Langebartels has scored a team-high four goals for eight total points, while senior forwards Caitlyn Hanslovan and Amanda Dial have each netted three goals. Dial also has a team-best three assists. 
• Junior goalkeeper Ryliegh Bohnenstiehl is 3-4-0 with one shutout in nine appearances between the posts for Oral Roberts. She has allowed 11 goals while making 37 saves for a 1.53 GAA. Sophomore goalkeeper Paige Vincent is 1-3-1 in goal. She has given up 12 goals while tallying 34 saves for a 2.52 GAA.
• As a team, the Golden Eagles are averaging 1.50 goals per game while allowing 2.00 goals per game. ORU is outshooting opponents, 16.3 to 15.4.
• Oral Roberts was picked to finish fourth in The Summit League preseason coaches' poll.
• ORU is under the direction of fifth season head coach Roger Bush.

About Omaha

• The Omaha Mavericks enter the weekend at 4-6-1 overall and are 1-0-0 in Summit League after claiming a 1-0 win at Fort Wayne Sept. 28.
• UNO is scheduled to play at South Dakota State Friday, Oct. 6, before traveling to Fargo to take on the Bison Sunday, Oct. 8.
• Through 11 matches, the Mavs are led by senior midfielder Natalie Johnson and junior forward Abby Meader with three goals apiece, while senior midfielder Carlie Cook has dished out a team-best three assists.
• Senior goalkeeper Haley Johnson is 2-2-0 with one shutout in six appearances between the pipes for the Mavericks. She has surrendered five goals while making 27 saves for a 0.94 GAA. Sophomore goalkeeper Erin Bunker is 2-4-1 with one shutout in seven appearances in goal. She has given up 12 goals while compiling 28 saves for a 2.03 GAA.
• As a team, Omaha is averaging 0.82 goals per game while surrendering 1.64 goals per game. The Mavs are being outshot, 16.0 to 9.7.
• Omaha was picked to finish tied for fifth in The Summit League preseason poll.
• UNO is under the leadership of first season head coach Tim Walters.

Summit League Player of the Week Honors

• Monica Polgar, Defensive Player of the Week, Sept. 18

Border States Electric Student-Athlete of the Week Honors

• Monica Polgar, Sept. 26
• Hanna Norman, Sept. 19

New Playing Surface at Dacotah Field
        North Dakota State will be playing on a brand new FieldTurf artificial turf surface at Dacotah Field beginning this season. The turf was installed in the summer of 2017.

Looking Back at 2016

• The Bison compiled a 10-8-1 overall record and won their second straight Summit League regular season title with a 5-2-1 league mark.
• Seven Bison were named All-Summit League. Sophomore Holly Enderle and senior Amy Yang were selected first team all-league, while seniors Natalie Fenske, Genna Joyce and Lizzie Lukas, and freshman Monica Polgar garnered second team all-league honors. Freshman Mariah Haberle was named to the all-freshmen team.
• Holly Enderle, Natalie Fenske and Amy Yang were voted to The Summit League Academic All-League Team.
• Natalie Fenske was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 First Team for her performance in the classroom and on the pitch. Fenske was also named a Senior CLASS Award candidate.
• Holly Enderle led the Bison and ranked second in The Summit League with 10 goals and 22 points.
• Amy Yang and Mariah Haberle each dished out a team-best six assists.
• Monica Polgar led the league with six shutouts in goal and tallied a 9-8-0 record with a 1.27 goals-against average (GAA) and 57 saves.

Head Coach Mark Cook
        Mark Cook is in his sixth season at the helm of the North Dakota State soccer program after being named head coach in 2012.  He is the fourth head coach in the 20-year history of the program.
        Cook helped the Bison claim their second straight Summit League regular season championship in 2016, as North Dakota State compiled an overall record of 10-8-1 and a league mark of 5-2-1. NDSU qualified for its eighth consecutive Summit League tournament and hosted the league tournament at Dacotah Field for the first time in program history. Seven student-athletes received All-Summit League honors. Holly Enderle and Amy Yang earned first team all-league accolades, while Natalie Fenske, Genna Joyce, Lizzie Lukas and Monica Polgar were named second team all-league. Mariah Haberle rounded out the Bison honorees and was named to the all-freshmen team, respectively.
        Cook came to NDSU after serving as the Director of Coaching at the Minnesota Thunder Academy for 11 years, where he grew a four-team program into one of the premier club programs in the Twin Cities with 65 teams in 2012.
        Cook holds the United States Soccer Federation 'A' coaching license, the highest certification available in the U.S.  He also has the NSCAA Premier License and Director of Coaching Diploma.
        He graduated from Alfred (N.Y.) University in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in communications. He was the starting goalkeeper at Alfred for two years.

On the Horizon
        North Dakota State travels to Macomb, Ill., for a Summit League match at Western Illinois University on Friday, Oct. 13, at 3 p.m.