MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Minnesota State Moorhead soccer begins the 2026 campaign on Monday, August 31 in a non-conference match versus Minnesota Crookston. The Highway 75 Rivalry Rock clash is set to begin at 3 p.m. in Crookston, Minn. 

Live video and stats will be available at msumdragons.com. Midco Sports Plus will be the official streaming home of MSUM and NSIC athletics.

Quick Notes

Preseason Buzz...Minnesota State Moorhead was selected to finish 16^th in the poll while midfielder Mary Cox and defender Lizzy Jaraczeski were tabbed as 'players to watch'. The Dragons earned their poll placement with 34 points. Minnesota State earned the top spot in the preseason index, garnering 223 points and 13 first-place votes. Concordia-St. Paul (3) assumed the other first-place nods, earning the second position. Moorhead is coming off a 3-14-1 season in 2025, including a pair of NSIC victories over Southwest Minnesota State and Jamestown. 

Coach Speak...Head coach Scott Forster had this to say about his 2026 outfit: "Moving on from a large graduating class last year, there are 14 new faces arriving in Moorhead. A lot rides on the new freshmen to get settled and start contributing," said Forster, who embarks on his third season as head coach in 2026. "There's a huge upside to come from these players joining the returning core with a new energy that will push the Dragons to be more competitive in the Northern Sun. Team togetherness and determination is at an all-time high."

Highway 75 Rivalry Rock History...The Golden Eagles have won the last two meetings with the Dragons, including a 2-0 victoy to conclude the 2025 season. Prior to last year, Moorhead had retained the Rivalry Rock Trophy seven of the last eight meetings. In total, MSUM is 6-6-2 all-time in Highway 75 Rivalry Rock games. The Highway 75 Rivalry Rock trophy is the lone traveling trophy in NSIC soccer after its establishment ahead of the 2013 season. The two schools are just a short 69 mile drive from one another with both institutions using Minnesota State Highway 75 to travel. At the time of its inception, Dragon head soccer coach Rollie Bullock said "Minnesota Crookston and the Dragons have been rivals for a long time. It just feels natural for someone to walk away with a trophy with this rivalry. The trophy is something to play for and it gets the players excited for that upcoming game."

Roster Breakdown

Seniors
Returning: Lizzy Jaraczeski (D), Lilly Allen (D), Clara Paleen (D)

Juniors
Returning: Madison Sharp (D), Sophie Thompson (MF), Mary Cox (MF), Abby Toso (MF), Hanna Barthel (F), Gracie Sauvageau (D/MF)

Sophomores
Returning: Allison Mastrangelo (GK), Camryn Hosick (GK), Lauryn Katzenberger (MF), Ana Cecilia Walker (F), Mattie Andrus (D), Kaci Malo (F), Avery Helm (D/MF), 
Incoming: Emilia Bukholt Kristensen

Freshman
Incoming: Natalie Lesnau (D), Erika Bergh (MF), Maggie Jenks (D/MF), Makenna Hanson (F), Carly Halder (D), Ellie Lommel (MF), Alivia Thompson (MF), Maggie Osgood (MF), Kadin Moles (MF), Molly Hogan (D), Jillian Thao (F), Clara Butler (F), Aubrey Lesnau (GK)

Positional Breakdown

Goalkeepers
Moorhead will welcome back two returning goalkeepers from 2025 in Allison Mastrangelo and Camryn Hosick. Mastrangelo is the only goalkeeper on the roster with Dragon experience after seeing 27 minutes as a freshman. The Dragons will welcome in a pair of incoming keepers as well, led by transfer sophomore Emilia Bukholt Kristensen. Kristensen played the 2025 season as NJCAA Hawkeye Community College (Waterloo, Iowa), earning all-region second team honors and leading her conference in save percentage (.877), goals against (8), goals against average (.56).

Defenders
A stout backline has been a common staple for Dragon soccer and the same can be said for the 2026 team. Led by captains Lizzy Jaraczeski, Lilly Allen and Clara Paleen, MSUM bolsters experienced players at every spot. Jaraczeski led the Dragons in minutes played in 2025, logging 1,553 ticks, the seventh-most in a single season in school history. The Great Falls, Mont., native was a pivotal piece to the Dragon backline and fixes to remain in that role in 2026. Allen and Paleen enter the 2026 season with a combined 56 career matches played. The rest of the backline shapes up well with talented juniors Madison Sharp and Gracie Sauvageau as well as sophomore Mattie Andrus. 

Midfielders
While no senior reside in the midfield for Moorhead, game experience is certainly not at a premium. Led by captain May Cox, the Dragons will look to have a strong command of the pitch. Cox, a junior from Evergreen, Colo., turned into the lifeblood of the Dragon offense in 2025. She would play and start all 18 matches for MSUM in the midfield, tallying a total 1,498 minutes. That mark places her within the top ten in program history for a single season. Cox logged 19 total shots on the year while dishing out four assists. Add to that mix shifty Sophie Thompson and the underrated Abby Toso, and the trio combines for 102 matches played. Sophomore Lauryn Katzenberger is also set to take on a larger role after scoring a goal in 2025. 

Forwards
At the striker spot, MSUM offers youth as well as experience. Junior Hanna Barthel returns to the fold alongside solid sophomore Kaci Malo. Fellow sophomore Ana Cecilia Walker will miss a portion of the season as she rehabs a lower body injury. That may leave the door open for a talented group of freshman, led by Clara Butler, Jillian Thao and Makenna Hanson. 
 

Opponent Scout

Minnesota Crookston
2025 Record: 2-13-3 (1-12-2 NSIC)
Head Coach: Danny Burstein (2nd Season)
Nickname: Golden Eagles
Top Returner: Tessa VanOverbeke (Sr., 1531 minutes, one assist)