MOORHEAD, Minn, -- MSU Moorhead soccer looks to get fired up for the start of conference play this week as they face a pair of NSIC foes. First, MSUM will travel to Aberdeen, S.D., to take on Northern State on Friday in a 6 p.m. contest. The Dragons will then head home for a matchup with the University of Mary on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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

The Dragons (0-3-1), will be looking to tally their first win this week during the start of conference play. The Dragons scored their first goal of the year in their 2-1 loss to New Mexico Highlands last week. The goal came from talented freshman midfielder Madalynn Hopkins in the 62^nd minute of the contest. Marin Hensley and Sara Alfrida Munk Nielsen both played the full 90 minutes for the Dragons in that match. The Dragons were outshot by New Mexico Highlands 11-3 during the match. The Dragons dropped their second game last weekend in a 5-0 loss to Nebraska Kearney. 

The Dragons managed to get five shots on goal in the match, one of which came from junior defender Abbey Johnson. Over the first four games of the season, MSUM has been selective, but accurate with the shots they have taken. They have a .667 shots on goal percentage, compared to their opponents' .549 mark against the Dragon defense.

The Dragons are coached by head coach Scott Forster in his first season. 
 
Scouting Northern State University

The Wolves (1-2-1), picked up their first victory of the year in their most recent match, a non-conference bout against the UMD Bulldogs which saw the Wolves win 2-0. Before that, NSU dropped a match to Emporia State, 3-1, last week. The first four games of the season have seen the Wolves average a goal per game. However, they have been outshot by their opponents 54-37, but the Wolves have spectacular accuracy on the attempts they do take, with a shots on goal percentage of .703 so far. A player to watch out for is senior forward Megan Fastenau. She is always active for the Wolves and this season hasn't been any different. She has scored two of the Wolves' four goals this season, and has also had three more shots on goal as well.

The Wolves are led by fourth year head coach Bob Casper.
 
Scouting University of Mary

The Marauders (2-1) are coming off back-to-back 3-0 victories over good teams. They beat Black Hills State 3-0, then turned around and also defeated Emporia State by the same margin. They have over double the amount of shots as their opponents (59-27), which comes out to 19.7 shots per game. If the Dragons want to secure a win in their first home match of the season, they will need to be very stout defensively against the Marauders. A dangerous player for the Marauders has been junior forward Rachel Gensch. She has knocked two goals into the back of the net through three games, and has also assisted on three other goals for her teammates.

The Marauders are guided by 13th-year head coach Sarah Cook.