For Immediate Release
Monday, October 30, 2023
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#24 Olivia Gardner (F, 5-7, So., Winona, Minn. / Cotter HS) - University of Mary
- Scored a goal in each of the Marauders weekend road wins 
- Helped extend UMary’s win streak to six
- Posted the third goal to seal a 4-0 win at Sioux Falls
- Scored the lone goal in the Marauders 1-0 win at Wayne State
- Has scored four goals in the last three matches

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#34 Kelsey Heller (D, 5-4, Jr., Urbandale, Iowa / Urbandale HS) - Minnesota State
- Helped MSU to a pair of shutout wins
- Part of a defense that allowed just seven shots on goal in the two matches
- Record her first career goal in a 4-0 win over BSU 
- Recorded her second career full-time performance against BSU

NSIC Goalkeeper of the Week
#00 Alexus Townsend (GK, Jr., Omaha, Neb. / Gross Catholic HS) - Northern State
- Tallied 13 saves on the weekend against SMSU and AUGIE
- Faced 11 corner kicks, including 10 in a 1-0 win over AUGIE
- Registered her seventh and eighth shutouts of the 2023 season
- Sits second in the NSIC in goals against average, saves, and shutouts

Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Katie Anderson (CSP) 
- Scored a pair of goals against Minnesota Crookston on Senior Day 
- Tallied 14 shots and eight shots on goal against Bemidji State and UMC
- Leads the NSIC in both points with 26 and goals scored with 11
- Has a conference-best 81 shots and 39 shots on goal
Allie Williams (MSU) 
- Two goals on the weekend against UMC and BSU 
- Now leads the MSU offense with 15 points on the season 
- Recorded 117 minutes this weekend
- Registered 6 shots landing 4 on goal
Megan Fastenau (NSU) 
- Scored the game winning goal to defeat Augustana
- Notched an assist, two shots, and one shot-on-goal on the weekend
- Tied for league lead in game winning goals (4)
- Sits fourth in the NSIC in goals this season

DEFENSE
Tori Miller (CSP) 
- Helped CSP to a pair of shutouts against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston
- Added her second assist of the season against Minnesota Crookston
- Anchored a defense that held UMC to only three shots and zero shots on goal
- Has accumulated 1,501 minutes on the pitch this season
 Tara Young (UMary) 
- Played all 180 minutes in two shutout efforts and third straight overall
- In 4-0 win at Sioux Falls,  held the Cougars to 5 total shots and three on frame
- Wrapped up weekend with 1-0 win at WSC, limiting the Wildcats to 13 shots and 8 on frame to push UMary into a tie for fourth in the NSIC standings
- Marauders have eight clean sheets on the season with four in the last five games
- UMary has won six straight games
Quinn Williams (WSU) 
- Scored the game-tying goal with a header on a corner kick in a 1-1 tie against SCSU
- Assisted on the go-ahead goal for WSU in a 3-3 draw vs. UMD
- Went the full 90 against the Huskies, holding SCSU to just one goal in the game

GOALKEEPER
Molly Fischer (UMary)
- Posted a pair of shutouts in a weekend sweep on the road for the Marauders
- Made three saves in the Marauders 4-0 win at Sioux Falls
- Had seven saves and fended off 13 shots and six corner kicks in a 1-0 win at Wayne State
- Marauders moved into 4th place tie in NSIC standings with 6th straight win
Mackenzie Rath (MSU) 
- Back-to-back shutouts against UMC and BSU 
- Now at 13 shutouts this season
- The 36 career shutouts ranks second on the MSU all-time Shutout list
- Recorded seven saves on the weekend
- Holds the MSU all-time saves record with 240 career saves through 64 career match-es
 
2022 NSIC Soccer Players of the Week
9/5/23
O: #13 Hope Korte – Augustana 
D: #8 Libby Spangler – Minnesota State
GK: #1 Jillian Barkus – Augustana
9/11/23
O: #24 Jenna Dominguez - St. Cloud State
D: #2 Halle Peterson - Bemidji State
GK: #1 Siriana Gudino - Minot State
9/18/23
O: #12 Katrina Barthelt - Bemidji State
D: #19 Zoe Boughton - Northern State
GK: #0 Mackenzie Rath  - Minnesota State
9/25/23
O: #2 Ellie Primerano - St. Cloud State
D: #11 Tori Miller - Concordia-St. Paul
GK: #33 Jennifer Norris - Minnesota Duluth
10/2/23
O: #2 Haley Mason - SMSU
D: #8 Libby Spangler  - Minnesota State
GK: #0 Delani Daubman - Sioux Falls
10/9/23
O: #22 Linsey Trapino - St. Cloud State
D: #27 Courtney Kovacs - Minnesota State
GK: #12 Hayden Wallace - Wayne State
10/16/23
O: #8 Annika Bard - Augustana
D: #8 Libby Spangler  - Minnesota State (2)
GK: #0 Mackenzie Rath  - Minnesota State (2)
10/23/23
O: #13 Jackie Jares - Minnesota Duluth
D: #8 Mo Malone - University of Mary
GK: #1 Simone Lewald - MSU Moorhead
10/30/23
O: #24 Olivia Gardner - University of Mary
D: #34 Kelsey Heller - Minnesota State
GK: #00 Alexus Townsend - Northern State

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 15-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in 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 union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 110 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.