For Immediate Release
Monday, September 14, 2026
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week - Led the NSIC with three goals in a 1-0-1 week
- Paced the Golden Bears with eight shots and three shots on goal
- Scored three goals in the first 24 minutes against Jamestown in a 4-1 win
- Became the first Golden Bear in program history to record three career hat tricks
- Recorded two hat tricks in the same season for the first time in CSP history
- Named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#36 Maclayne Menzel (D, 5-6, Jr.,  Iowa City, Iowa / City HS) – Minnesota State
- Played 172 minutes across two matches
- Part of a defense that allowed only three shots on goal across two matches
- Was a part of two shutouts over the weekend
- Helped extend Mavericks shutout streak to four

NSIC Goalkeeper of the Week
#00 Emilia Kristensen (GK, 5-7, So., Poulstrup, Denmark / Aalborg Katedralskole) – MSU Moorhead
- Led the NSIC in saves per game, stopping 17 shots in two matches
- Saved six shots and earned a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Wayne State
- Made 11 saves against Augustana on Sunday
- Faced a total of 41 shots on the weekend 

Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Natalie Ramthun (Augustana)
- Scored the game-winning first goal in a 2-0 victory against Minnesota Crookston on Sept. 11, contributing two points with her lone shot on goal
- Assisted in a 2-1 win against MSU Moorhead on Sep. 13, adding one point with her assist on goal
- Totaled one goal, one assist, three points, two shots, and two shots on goal over the week, with one game-winning goal
Dina Polanco (UMary)
- Scored two goals in the final 5' of the NSIC opener to earn UMary a 2-2 draw at SCSU
- Struck for the first UMary goal at 85:43
- Converted a penalty kick with 34 seconds left
- Ranks second in the NSIC in goals (5) and points (11)
Nora Helvig (Minnesota Duluth)
- Posted a point in each game, including a game-tying assist Friday afternoon against Southwest before scoring the game-winning goal off a corner kick Sunday against USF
- Had nine shots on the weekend, including six against the Mustangs
- UMD went 2-0 in its opening weekend of NSIC play
Laney Haviland (St. Cloud State)
- Continued her hot start to the season, scoring twice over the weekend in SCSU's 2-2 draw with UMary (Sept. 11) and 1-0 win over Minot State (Sept. 13)
- Netted the game-winning goal against the Beavers, scoring just 1:39 into the game
- Her goal was the fastest scored by a Husky since Sept. 29, 2024, when Grace Olson scored 1:32 into the game in a 2-0 win over Wayne State
- Has scored a goal in every game the Huskies have scored in this season, and leads the team in goals (four), points (eight), and game-winning goals (two)
- Leads the NSIC in game-winning goals (two) and ranks third in goals (four)

DEFENSE
Grace Katter (Augustana)
- Recorded 11 total shots and four shots on goal over two games
- Scored one goal and earned two points in the win against MSU Moorhead on Sept. 13
- Her goal against MSU Moorhead was the game-winning goal
- Contributed significantly to a 2-0 win against Minnesota Crookston on Sept. 11 with two shots and one shot on goal
Abigail Schmidt (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Played 170 minutes in the Mustangs' two matches this weekend
- Scored from mid-field against Minnesota Duluth, playing all 90 minutes
- Played 80 minutes against Bemidji State with one shot on goal

GOALKEEPER
Lauren McAlpine (Minnesota State)
- Tallied two shutouts against Minot State and UMary
- Extended her shutout streak to four
- Made one save against Minot State, two against UMary
- Led Mavericks to a 2-0 weekend (5-0 start to season)
- Tied for fourth in the country with four shutouts
Jaylee Strickland (St. Cloud State)
- Jaylee Strickland helped lead the Huskies to a 1-0-1 mark in the first weekend of NSIC play, earning a 1-0 win over Minot State (Sept. 13) and a 2-2 draw with UMary (Sept. 11)
- Strickland made eight saves over the weekend, and recorded her second shutout of the season over the Beavers
- She increased her program record best mark of 22 career shutouts, while becoming the first Huskies goalkeeper to reach the 30 career victories mark

2026 NSIC Soccer Players of the Week
8/31/26
O: #9 Meghan Przybilla - Minnesota State
D: #3 Ivy Wessel - University of Mary 
GK: #99 Phoenix DeBrusk - Minnesota Crookston
9/8/26
O: #17 Sophia Haase - Concordia-St. Paul
D: #24 Elsa Duquesne - Minot State
GK: #0 Lauren McAlpine - Minnesota State
9/14/26
O: #17 Sophia Haase - Concordia-St. Paul
D: #36 Maclayne Menzel - Minnesota State
GK: #00 Emilia Kristensen - MSU Moorhead

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-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 27 team national championships and crowned 128 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.