FARGO, N.D. - The North Dakota State women's soccer team will head back out on the road for the second-straight weekend, as the Bison travel to Colorado and Nebraska to open up Summit League play. The Bison will open up the league slate by visiting the defending champions of Denver on Friday, September 23, with kickoff slated for 8 p.m. CT against the Pioneers. North Dakota State will then make the trek to Omaha on Sunday, September 25, for a 1 p.m. CT kickoff against the Mavericks.
 
Series History - Denver
North Dakota State will take on Denver for the 14th time in series history dating back to Denver joining the Summit League in 2013. The Pioneers hold an 11-1-1 record over the Bison in the series, including wins in each of the last eight meetings overall. The last and only win for NDSU in the series came in 2015, when the Bison picked up a double overtime winner in a 4-3 thriller in Denver. The teams played out a 0-0 tie in the next meeting in Fargo in 2016 before Denver started it's run of consecutive victories. The teams have met in Denver on six occasions prior to Friday, with Denver claiming five of those matches, with the other result being NDSU's win. NDSU has also not scored in Denver since the winner in double overtime.
 
Series History - Omaha
The Bison will face Omaha for the 18th time in series history on Sunday, with North Dakota State carrying in a 10-6-1 record all time against the Mavericks, dating back to the NSIC era in 1999. Since the programs started playing again in the Division I era in 2011, the Bison hold an 8-3-1 record against Omaha. However, the Mavericks picked up a win in the last meeting, with a 4-0 win over the Bison in Fargo last October, and Omaha has won three of the last five games in the series. One of the losses for the Bison came in a 1-0 defeat in Omaha in 2019, the last time the two teams met at Omaha. Prior to that, the Bison had a 2-0 win in 2016 and the teams shared a 1-1 tie after 110 minutes in 2014, the other more recent trips to Omaha in the series.
 
Bison Draw With Idaho, Fall to Montana to Close Non-Conference Schedule
The Bison wrapped up non-conference action with a tough trip west to face a pair of Big Sky opponents. NDSU opened up the week with a 0-0 tie against Idaho. Junior goalkeeper Abby Wilkinson made 10 saves, while the Bison rang the crossbar twice and forced two stretched diving saves. NDSU then made the trip to Missoula, but fell to the Grizzlies of Montana. Trailing 1-0, the Bison had a penalty claim as Paige Goaley was pulled down in the box. Olivia Lovick also nearly leveled the game. However, Montana responded with two more to hand NDSU its first loss in four games.
 
Back-to-Back Peak Performer of the Week Honors
On Monday, Abby Wilkinson became the second straight Bison to scoop up the Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week honor, following in the footsteps of Ashleigh Heely. Wilkinson had a career night in Moscow, Idaho on Friday, as she made 10 saves en route to a shutout, as she led the Bison in a 0-0 tie against the Vandals. The 10 saves for Wilkinson set a new career high, breaking her previous mark of eight set last season. It was also Wilkinson's second consecutive shutout, as the junior has not allowed a goal in over 236 minutes between the sticks.
 
Back-to-Back-to-Back Cleansheets
With the NDSU's 0-0 tie at Idaho on Friday, North Dakota State scooped up its third-consecutive cleansheet, following a pair of 1-0 victories over Green Bay and Drake from the week before. The three consecutive cleansheets for the Bison is a first since February of 2021 when NDSU had two shutouts against Western Illinois and one against Kansas City.
 
Douglass Caps Senior Day With First Game Winner
You couldn't write a much better script for senior day then to score your team's game winner. Lavin Douglass did that in the 80th minute against Drake earlier this season, scoring her first career game-winning goal in the process. The goal was the fourth of her career, as she has now scored a goal in each of her four seasons in Fargo.
 
Watson Adds Another Game Winner
After two goals as a freshman last season, Olivia Watson picked up her first game-winning goal earlier this year, as she scored her first goal of 2022 to open the scoring in the 2-0 win against Utah Tech. Watson added her second goal of the season, scoring another game winner, to lift the Bison over Green Bay.
 
Coming in Pairs
Olivia Lovick scored her ninth and then 10th career goals earlier this season, scoring in back-to-back games. The junior has scored every one of her goals in either back-to-back games, or with a brace. She has a pair of two-goal games, with her other six goals coming in back-to-back clusters.
 
Not Your Typical Goaley
Paige Goaley has scored two goals this season, tied for the team lead. She didn't wait long to jump into the scoring action, finding the net 37 seconds into her official return, after missing two full seasons with a leg injury. Early strikes have become the theme for Goaley, as she also headed in her second goal of the year in the third minute against Chicago State.
 
Last Time vs Denver
Kaitlyn Glover led the way for the Pioneers, scoring a hat trick, while also assisting on the other Denver goal. Glover put Denver ahead of the Bison in the 14th minute and then set up the second goal with an assist on Sydney Sharp's goal 90 seconds later. Glover would add her second goal in the 20th minute and her final goal in the 89th. NDSU would start the second half strong with scoring opportunities, but were unable to cut into the deficit despite holding Denver without a shot for the first 28 minutes of the half. Denver would lead in shots 19-5. They had eight corners to just one for the Bison.
 
Last Time vs Omaha
Omaha scored a pair of goals in each half to hand the Bison the loss. Andrea Daves would score two goals for the Mavs, opening the scoring with a shot off the cross bar and down just across the line before it bounced back into play. The shot was initially ruled no goal, but was overturned, giving the Mavericks the lead in the 25th minute. In the 40th minute, Omaha would double its lead with a goal from Sophia Green. NDSU would threaten early in the second half, but Omaha would add to its lead with a goal from Cece Behrens in the 66th minute. Daves would score her second in the 72nd minute.
 
Back-to-Back First Cleansheets
In the 0-0 tie against Southern, senior goalkeeper Sofia Howe picked up her first career shutout. The Chula Vista, California native saw six shots from the Lady Jaguars and made two saves over 90 minutes to record her first collegiate cleansheet. In the next game for the Bison, true freshman keeper Payton Mulberry stopped four shots in her collegiate debut against Utah Tech, as she pulled off her first collegiate shutout in her first-ever start.
 
Wacek's First is Bison Game Winner
Sophomore Loretta Wacek broke a 1-1 tie in the 67th minute against Chicago State with her first collegiate goal. Taking a pass from Lavin Douglass and firing a right-footed shot into the back of the net, Wacek gave the Bison a lead they never relinquished, picking up her first game-winning goal as well. As a freshman, Wacek picked up an assist in the second minute of her starting debut.
 
Kallio Scores, Moves to Top of Active Assists List in Trip Home
Kelsey Kallio, from the suburbs of the Twin Cities, broke an 18-game goal less streak in St. Paul earlier this season, as she connected on a cross in the second half against Utah Tech to double the Bison lead in the win with her second career goal.
 
Kallio then took over sole possession of first on the active assist list for NDSU two days later against Chicago State, as she recorded her first-career, two-assist game. Kallio whipped in a pair of corner kicks, with Paige Goaley and Jess Hanley heading in goals in the 3rd and 77th minutes against Chicago State. Kallio now has eight career assists.
 
Howe In Top 10 For Career Saves
In her final appearance of the 2021 season, Sofia Howe moved into the top 10 in career saves in NDSU's history. Howe currently sits with 73 as a Bison, four behind Renee Keller for ninth overall. Howe is also sixth in NDSU's DI era, with Karli Kopietz next on that list at 100.
 
Goaley Strikes NDSU's Fastest Goal
Paige Goaley scored 37 seconds into the season opener against Tarleton, scoring her first career goal and etching her name into the Bison record books, with the fastest goal in NDSU's program history. The goal broke the previous record of 39 seconds held by Lisa Leach, set on October 18, 1997 at Minnesota State-Mankato. The DI era record was 52 seconds into a match by Britney Monteon against Fort Wayne on October 22, 2017.
 
The Perfect Hat Trick
After missing the last two seasons due to injury, junior Paige Goaley made her long-awaited return to the pitch a thrilling one in the preseason exhibition against Viterbo. Goaley not only scored a hat trick, but completed the feat of the "Perfect Hat Trick" as she scored her first goal with her right foot, her second goal with her left foot, and then finished it off with a header for her third and final goal. Goaley scored all three of her goals in a 26-minute stretch.
 
Team Captains
Head coach Mike Regan announced that senior Dani Stuber and junior Paige Goaley will serve as the team captains in 2022. Stuber is in her fifth season with the Bison, while Goaley is in her fourth year. Both players are making their full returns in 2022 after missing considerable time with injuries.
 
NDSU Receives United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award
The Bison earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award over the summer, being recognized for their exemplary performance in the classroom during the 2021-22 academic year. To qualify for the award, a team must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher for the entire academic year. The Bison posted a 3.43 team GPA for 2021-22.
 
Picked Ninth in Summit League
North Dakota State was picked ninth in the Summit League preseason coaches' poll. The Bison received 17 points in the vote, slotting them one spot below where they finished the 2021 season. The Bison finished eighth last season after a 3-6-0 record with wins over Oral Roberts (picked 6th), St. Thomas (picked 8th) and North Dakota (picked 10th).
 
Lovick, Nead Named Summit League Players to Watch
Olivia Lovick and Alicia Nead were named Summit League Players to Watch in the league preseason release. Lovick and Nead, both juniors on the Bison squad, headline a returning group of seven starters and 19 letter winners from last season.
 
Lovick, a forward for the Bison, played in all 16 games with 14 starts in 2021, logging 1,162 minutes on the pitch. She recorded two goals, both against Oral Roberts (Oct. 1) in a 3-2 victory and assisted on one goal, setting up the game-winner in the final minute of a 2-1 victory over North Dakota. Lovick is the top returning goal scorer overall for NDSU with eight career goals and three assists in two seasons.
 
Nead also played in all 16 games with 11 starts in the midfield for NDSU, logging 835 minutes last season. Nead scored her first career goal in 2021, scoring the game winner in the final minute of a victory against UND. She also assisted on one goal in the 3-2 win against ORU.
 
Who's Back?
The Bison return seven starters from the 2021 squad, as well as 19 letter winners. Olivia Lovick is the top returning goal scorer, with eight career goals. Lavin Douglass and Jess Hanley also return with three goals each. Hanley, along with Kelsey Kallio, are the top returning assists leaders with six career assists each.
 
NDSU also returns two goalkeepers with considerable experience in Abby Wilkinson and Sofia Howe. Wilkinson started the season in goal for the Bison in 2021 before an injury sidelined her. Howe finished out the year in goal. How has 67 career saves and Wilkinson has 31, along with one cleansheet.
 
Head Coach Mike Regan
Mike Regan begins his fifth season as the head coach of the Bison. NDSU has had five All-Summit League selections in Regan's tenure, including four first team selections. NDSU has also had four All-Summit League Freshman Team/All-Newcomer Team selections and two Summit League All-Tournament Team picks.
 
Regan came to NDSU after two seasons as a Big Ten assistant coach at Indiana University in Bloomington. Prior to Indiana, he was an assistant coach at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa for four seasons where he was part of the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference championship team and MVC Coaching Staff of the Year.
 
Before joining Drake, Regan was the head coach for the North Iowa Area Community College men's soccer team for five seasons, where he posted an impressive record of 74-17-6 and was named the NJCAA/ICCAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year three times.
 
Higgins Joins Staff
Chris Higgins, who joined the Bison from Loras College, will serve as an assistant and will work with the goalkeepers, a role he held at Loras, as he helped guide the women's program to the NCAA Division III Final Four last season. Prior to his coaching career, Higgins was an NAIA Academic All-American goalkeeper at Ashford University, where he was also the AII-League First Team and Goalkeeper of the Year. Higgins helped lead Ashford to the NAIA Final Four in 2013.
 
Up Next
The Bison will return home to the friendly confines of Dacotah Field for the first home games in Summit League play, as North Dakota State welcomes in St. Thomas and Western Illinois on Homecoming Weekend on the campus of NDSU. The Bison will take on St. Thomas on Friday to close out the month of September with a 6 p.m. kick. NDSU will then take on Western Illinois on Sunday, October 2 at 1 p.m.