For Immediate Release
Monday, September 12, 2022
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#4 Jenny Vetter (F, 5-4, Sr., Mankato, Minn. / Mankato East HS) - Minnesota State
- Scored three goals and added an assist as MSU went 2-0
- Her seven points on the weekend tied for an NSIC high with teammate Allie Williams
- Scored one goal against Wayne State with an assist
- Added two goals in a 4-2 win over Augustana, including the game winning goal
- Named NSIC Player of the Week for the second week in a row

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#2 Halle Peterson (D, 5-7, Sr., Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater Area HS) - Bemidji State
- Anchored a defense that held opponents scoreless over the weekend 
- Limited opponents to just 13 shots and three shots on goal
- Assisted on the Beavers’ game-winning goal in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over MSU Moorhead
- Posted three shots and one on goal

NSIC Goalkeeper of the Week
#0 Jamie Kerkvliet (GK, 5-9, Fr., Otsego, Minn. / Rogers HS) - Upper Iowa
- Grabbed a shutout victory in goal on Friday at SMSU when the Peacocks won 1-0
- Shared a shutout with fellow keeper Alena Miller on Sunday in a scoreless tie at Sioux Falls
- Made two saves in UIU’s win over the Mustangs 
- Added three saves in her half against the Cougars in her 135 minutes of action
- Faced seven corner kicks versus SMSU

Other Top Performances
OFFENSE
#9 Morgan Keirstead (AUGIE) scored the game-winning goal in Augustana’s 1-0 win over Concordia-St. Paul in the first conference game of the season. She scored an unassisted goal against Minnesota State and recorded four total shots with two shots on goal at Minnesota State.
#14 Sara Wendt (BSU) scored the game-winning goal in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over MSU Moorhead. She helped the Beavers to a 2-0-0 weekend by scoring two points, nine shots and four shots on goal.
#14 Sophie Pawlyshyn (CSP) scored a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over Wayne State. She registered the game-winning goal and assisted on the final goal in the win.  She took three shots on goal in 132 minutes on the weekend. She ranks second in the conference in assists and ninth in shots.
#18 Rio Spruenken (UMary) had a hand in each of the Marauders opening goals of the weekend. She scored the game-winning goal in the UMary 2-0 win over St. Cloud State. She provided the only assist on the Marauders equalizer in a 1-1 draw against the Bulldogs. She leads the Marauders in assists (4) and points (6).
#2 Callyn Johnson (MSUM) scored the winning goal in a 1-0 win over Minnesota Crookston. She scored a goal on a first-half penalty kick as she helped MSUM regain the Rivalry Rock from UMC. 
#21 Brooklyn Casey (MINOT) scored the game-winner on Sunday for the Beavers’ first victory of the fall and the first career win for head coach TJ Perez. The goal also was the first of the collegiate career for Casey.
#10 Hannah Smith (NSU) led the Wolves with two goals this past weekend, both coming in the first half at Minnesota Crookston. The two goals were the first of her collegiate career. Overall she totaled two goals, four points, six shots, three shots-on-goal, and one game-winning goal in games against BSU and UMC.
#10 Jordan Zarate (UIU) scored the game-winning goal in the 70th minute of UIU’s 1-0 win at SMSU, thanks to an assist from Chloe Jarosz. The goal was Zarate’s first of the season and career at Upper Iowa.
#5 Jaida Wiege (WSU) scored in back-to-back contests for Winona State, leading the Warriors to an unbeaten weekend. She had the game-winning goal vs. Sioux Falls in a 1-0 Warrior win. She scored to tie the match vs. Southwest Minnesota State to salvage a 1-1 tie on the road. She has scored in back-to-back contests for first time in career history. She also accounted for all of the Warriors’ scoring on the weekend. 

DEFENSE
#30 Halle Miller (AUGIE) helped Augustana in a shutout win over Concordia-St. Paul holding the opponent to just five shots on goal. She logged 77 minutes in the game.
#22 Rachel Boelke (UMD) has played every minute in the 2022 season for the Bulldogs and has one assist and one point one the year. This week she lead the defense that only gave up one goal this weekend and no corners against University of Mary.
#11 Lucy Weninger (MSU) anchored a MSU defense that shut out Wayne State and allowed two goals versus Augustana. She added an assist versus Wayne State for her first collegiate point.
#8 Sara Alfrida Munk Nielsen (MSUM) was part of a defense that surrendered just one goal in 180 minutes of action on weekend. She played 41 minutes and had a shot on goal in a win over UMC.
#24 Jordan Tenpas (MINOT) anchored the defense playing all 270 minutes in three games for the Beavers, who went 1-1-1 on the week and allowed just 2 goals.
#28 Lilja Davidsdottir (NSU) played a key role on the Wolves defense against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston, playing 88 and 69 minutes respectively in the games. Against BSU she made a critical play to clear the ball after it was tipped by the NSU goalkeeper and continued to roll dangerously towards the net, this play in the closing minutes kept the game a one-score game. Against UMC she played key minutes to lead the Wolves to their third shutout victory of the season. Davidsdottir also recorded a shot and shot-on-goal in both games this weekend.
#3 Chloe Jarosz (UIU), along with Leah Willenbring, led the defensive back line in front of Jamie Kirkvliet (135 minutes) and Alena Miller (45) as Upper Iowa did not allow a goal at SMSU and Sioux Falls to grab a win and a tie on the road. The sophomore also picked up an assist on the game-winning goal at SMSU to push three points to the Peacocks in the NSIC standings.
#27 Bailey Deininger (WSU) anchored a defense that opened up NSIC play with a win and a draw on the road. She led a WSU backline that earned a shutout vs. Sioux Falls. She was the only Warrior field player to go full 90 minutes in both matches. She anchored a defense that conceded just .5 goals-per-game.

GOALKEEPER
#1 Jillian Barkus (AUGIE) recorded five saves in the 1-0 shutout win against Concordia-St. Paul and made six saves against Minnesota State.
#27 Abigail Gotham (UMD) was a top performer this week with nine saves and only allowing 1 goal. These were Gotham’s 2nd and 3rd starts and first weekend in NSIC play She remains unbeaten in conference play with a record of 1-0-1 and a save percentage of .900 for conference play.
#0 Mackenzie Rath (MSU) shutout WSC on Friday as she faced 12 shots, making seven saves. She is now tied for 4th at MSU in all-time shutouts with 14. She faced 11 shots, seven on goal versus Augustana. 
#00 Quinn Carter (MSUM) recorded her first shutout of her collegiate career in a Dragons’ 1-0 win over Minnesota Crookston. She recorded a career-high seven saves to help the Dragons regain the Rivalry Rock.
#1 Maddie Kindred (MINOT) recorded her 13th career shutout at Minot State making six saves in a 1-0 win Sunday versus St. Cloud State. She also had 7 saves Friday against Minnesota Duluth, and two saves on Tuesday in a 1-1 draw at MSU Billings.
#00 Alexus Townsend (NSU) led the Wolves with six saves and a 0.857 save percentage this past weekend against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. She recorded five saves in the game against BSU, and made the only save of the game for the Wolves against UMC. She recorded a combined shutout in the win over the Golden Eagles, starting the game and playing the first half of action. 
#01 Chloe Swanson (WSU) played a key role in the WSU unbeaten weekend to open NSIC play in games against Southwest Minnesota State & Sioux Falls. She earned a shutout versus Sioux Falls in a 1-0 Warrior win. She had six saves vs. Southwest Minnesota State. She collected nine total stops over the weekend and is unbeaten on the season at 3-0-1 as starting goalkeeper.

2022 NSIC Soccer Players of the Week
8/29/22
O: #30 Ashley Hewitt  - Winona State
D: #4 Mary Meeks - UMary
GK: #00 Alexus Townsend - Northern State
9/6/22
O: #4 Jenny Vetter - Minnesota State
D: #22 Eli Olsen - UMary
GK: #0 Mackenzie Rath - Minnesota State
9/12/22
O: #4 Jenny Vetter - Minnesota State (2)
D: #2 Halle Peterson - Bemidji State
GK: #0 Jamie Kirkvliet - Upper Iowa

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a 16-team union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 96 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.