MOORHEAD, Minn. -- After a long homestand, MSU Moorhead soccer will hit the road for two conference matches this week. First, the Dragons make a stop in St. Cloud to take on the Huskies of St. Cloud State with kickoff at 6 p.m. on Friday. Then the Dragons turn north to battle the Bulldogs of Minnesota Duluth. That match will kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Live stats and video are available at msumdragons.com.
 
About the Dragons

The Dragons (1-9-2, 1-6-1 NSIC), continue the tough NSIC grind this week against the Huskies and Bulldogs. Last week, the Dragons secured a 2-2 draw against Minnesota Crookston, and then they came up short against Bemidji State, 2-0. In their match against Minnesota Crookston, the Dragons managed to put two goals in the back of the net. The first coming in the 16th minute off the foot of freshman forward Becca Cook who was assisted by Lilly Johnson and Blayke Hurley. Later in the second half, senior defender Sara Alfrida Munk Nielsen scored on a penalty goal in the 54th minute to put the Dragons ahead. The Golden Eagles would eventually tie the match, but the Dragons earned a hard-fought draw. In the match against the Bemidji State, the Dragons hung tough in the first half, but in the second half the Beavers controlled possession and eventually pulled away with a 2-0 victory. Madalynn Hopkins registered a shot on goal and goalkeeper Rylee Truslow made seven saves in the match.

Through a dozen matches this season, the Dragons have taken 79 shots (6.6 shots per match), at a .392 shot on goal percentage, and Dragons goalkeepers have made 105 saves this year.

The Dragons are led by first-year head coach Scott Forster.
 
About St. Cloud State

The Huskies (6-2-4, 3-1-4 NSIC), have been a very stingy team for anyone to go up against this season. Their most recent four matches have all resulted in draws. This past week they played U-Mary and Minot State, both to 1-1 draws. Against U-Mary, the Huskies had less shots on goal than their opponent, but managed to grind out the draw behind a good effort from goalkeeper Meriel Orham. In their match with Minot State, both teams scored on penalty goals, and both defenses played great and didn't give up a typical goal. Defense has been St. Cloud State's calling card this season as the Huskies have only allowed eight goals all season, and no more than one in any match. They also are a very good passing team, and have assisted on 13 of their 14 goals this season. A player to watch out for is sophomore forward Linsey Trapino, who has three goals and an assist this season.

The Huskies are led by head coach Gretta Macdonald.
 
About Minnesota Duluth

The Bulldogs (1-9-1, 1-6-1 NSIC), have a similar record to the Dragons at this point in the season. They dropped both of their matches last week, however, they put up a fight in each. Their first match came on the road at Minot State in a match they lost 2-1 in heartbreaking fashion. In the waning minutes of the match, Minot State was awarded a penalty goal and capitalized by putting it in the back of the net. Against U-Mary on the road, the Bulldogs once again got edged out by a score of 3-2. The Bulldogs didn't notch a single shot in the first half of the game, but battled back in the second half. Over the first 11 matches of the season, the Bulldogs have seven goals, 81 shots (7.4 shots per game), .605 shots on goal percentage, and 74 saves on the year. Senior forward Anna Tobias is one of the dangerous players the Dragons will need to look out for. She leads her team in shots on goal with 12, and she has put two goals in the back of the net for her squad as well.

The Bulldogs are led by 29th-year head coach Greg Cane.