FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State soccer will open up the home schedule at Dacotah Field this week, welcoming in Alabama State on Thursday, August 22. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m., with the game being televised on WDAY Xtra and the Summit League Network.
 
Game Coverage
Thursday's matches will be streamed live on the Summit League Network and also have live statistics. Links for all coverage are available via gobison.com.
 
On The Xtra
The match up with the Hornets is the first of three Bison soccer games this season that will be televised across North Dakota and parts of Minnesota on WDAY Xtra. Sam Goetzinger (play-by-play) and Michael Breker (color analyst) will have the call for the game. A full list of coverage areas and channels is available on gobison.com.
 
Home Openers
NDSU is 17-10-1 all-time in home openers dating back to the program's first season in 1995 (NDSU did not play a home game in 2004). In NDSU's Division I era, the Bison are 11-7-1 overall in home openers. The Bison are undefeated over the last two seasons in the first game at Dacotah Field, claiming a 1-0 win against Green Bay in 2022 and a 1-1 tie against Boise State last season.
 
The Series
Thursday's game against the Hornets will be the first-ever match up for soccer, or any other NDSU team in head-to-head competition, against Alabama State. It is just the second soccer game all-time against a team from Alabama. Soccer's only other game against an opponent from "The Yellowhammer State" came in 2005 with a 2-0 win against Troy at the Tulane Tournament in New Orleans.
 
Wrapping Last Week
The Bison opened up the season in Wisconsin with an unbeaten trip to "America's Dairyland", claiming a 3-1 win at Viterbo in the season opener on Thursday and a 0-0 tie on the road at Green Bay on Sunday. Olivia Watson, Devon Kavanagh and Gabrielle Garrett all scored in the win, while Payton Mulberry logged 120 scoreless minutes in goal, including a complete game shutout with four saves in Sunday's tie.
 
Watson Cracks D1 Era Top 10 for NDSU
Senior Olivia Watson scored her 13th career goal for the Bison in the season opener, moving into the active lead, while also cracking the top 10 for career goals at NDSU in the Division I era. Abbe Stratton and Malley O'Brien also sit at 13 for NDSU and in 10th overall. Brooklyn Dyce (14), Holly Enderle and Michelle Gaffaney (15), and Mariah Haberle (16) are next on the list.
 
Devon and Gabrielle Score First Goals
While both Devon Kavanagh and Gabrielle Garrett had scored for the Bison in preseason games, the duo officially notched their first collegiate tallies at Viterbo with first half goals. Kavanagh rose up for a header in the early minutes, scoring the eventual game winner, while Garrett tucked a left footed shot into the far corner to put the Bison ahead 3-0 at the time. Kavanagh, a junior, had an assist last season, while Garrett, a sophomore, recorded her first collegiate points with her goal.
 
On the Road Early
The Bison are slated to play 18 games this season, with the schedule featuring nine of the 10 road games in the first 13 overall. The Bison make the early trip to Wisconsin, along with a three-game stretch in Hawaii during the first month. NDSU will also play in Minnesota during the non-conference portion of the schedule and then begin Summit League play with three straight away from home.
 
What's Next?
North Dakota State will head back on the road with a week long trip to Hawaii on the schedule. The Bison will play three games in the Honolulu area at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium, beginning with Hawaii Pacific on August 27. NDSU will then play two games in the Outrigger No Ka Oi, taking on Grand Canyon on August 29 before facing host Hawaii on September 1.