MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead soccer begin their 2024 slate with a couple of road games this weekend. The first action of the year on the pitch will kick off against Parkside University on Friday at 1 p.m. in Kenosha, Wis. Then they will take on Purdue Northwest on Sunday with that match beginning at 11 a.m. in Hammond, Ind.

Live stats and video will be available at msumdragons.com. Please note that both Parkside and Purdue Northwest utilize FloSports for live streaming, which is a pay-per-view service in conjunction with the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC)
 
About the Dragons

The Dragons begin anew in 2024 hoping to build from last year. The Dragons ended last season with a record of 3-10-5, but that wasn't totally representative of how the team battled all season. They were a very gritty team who would refuse to back down from any fight, and a team who had some success last year. The Dragons scored wins against Western Colorado, Minnesota Crookston and an upset victory over conference foe and nationally-ranked Minnesota State. This year, MSUM was picked to finish 14^th in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll.

The Dragons are a very young team with a lot of new faces, as they are bringing in 15 freshmen this year. However, there are also some returning veterans that will help lead the team into the fray this fall. Junior forward Lilly Johnson received the honor of being MSUM's 'offensive player to watch' this season. She returns to the Dragons after a 2023 campaign that saw her tally 11 shots, four of which being on goal. She also logged 432 minutes last year for MSUM.

Senior defender Sara Alfrida Munk Nielsen was tabbed as MSUM's 'defensive player to watch' for the 2024 season. She was rock solid for the Dragons last year, racking up a record setting 1,620 minutes of play from the back line for MSUM. She was the center piece for an MSUM defense that was stellar last year holding their opponents to 1.17 goals per game against a tough NSIC schedule. 

Quinn Carter, Jensen Seidel, Abbey Johnson, Blayke Hurley, Brooklyn Broderick, Mason Kimble and Ally Peters are also key returning upperclassmen for the Dragons who will look to make their mark during the 2024 campaign. Broderick will take a redshirt season in 2024 as she recovers from offseason ankle surgery. 

The Dragons are coached by first year head coach Scott Forster.
 
About Parkside

The Rangers had a very solid season in 2023, going 8-8-4. They scored the same amount of goals as their opponents did, scoring 22 goals while also conceding 22. They took less shots than their opponents, who took 367 shots, while taking 215 of their own. However, they converted at a much better rate than their opponents. They also are a great passing team, with assists on 19 of their 22 goals. Parkside defeated the Dragons last season at Nemzek Soccer Field, 1-0. 

A player to watch for on the Rangers is junior forward Emily Mikkelson. She was second in goals for Parkside last year with five strikes that reached the back of the net, and she also led the team in assists with four.

The Rangers are led by head coach Brittany Nikolic in her 10th year. 
 
About Purdue University Northwest

Purdue Northwest finished last year with a record of 2-14-3. They scored 15 goals in their 18 matches while conceding 43 goals to their opponents. They assisted on almost all of their goals last season, with 13 of 15 goals coming off of an assist.

PNW's top returning performer is senior forward Emma Carter. Carter scored two goals and tallied three assists for the Pride in 2023.

Purdue Northwest is led by head coach Mary Whisler in her third season.