Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus #2 Denver on November 6, 2025 at 1 p.m.
/
1 p.m.
Women's Soccer
vs #2 Denver
South Dakota State University Athletics
Thursday, October 26
Brookings, S.D.
6 p.m.
South Dakota State University
vs
South Dakota
Photo by: Mark Smither
Jacks close regular season at home
10/24/2017 11:30:00 AM | Women's Soccer
| Â GAMES 17-18: South Dakota State (9-4-3, 5-0) vs USDÂ (4-11, 2-3); NDSU (7-9, 5-1) |
| Â When | Â Thursday, Oct. 26 | 6 p.m. | Â Sunday, Oct. 29 | 1 p.m. |
|  Where |  Fishback Soccer Park | Brookings, S.D. |  Fishback Soccer Park | Brookings, S.D. |
| Â Live Video | Â Jackrabbit All-Access Portal | Â Jackrabbit All-Access Portal |
| Â Live Stats | Â GoJacksLive.com | Â GoJacksLive.com |
| Â Live Audio | Â Jackrabbit All-Access Portal | Â Jackrabbit All-Access Portal |
| Â Radio | Â KBRK-1430 AM | Â KBRK-1430 AM |
| Â Game Notes | Â South Dakota State | |
| Â Social Media | Â Twitter | Facebook | #RabbitsFutbol | |
Previewing the Week
South Dakota State women's soccer wraps up the 2017 regular season this weekend with a pair of rivalry games at Fishback Soccer Park. The Jackrabbits welcome South Dakota Thursday at 6 p.m., before North Dakota State comes to town for Senior Day Sunday at 1 p.m.
The first 250 fans at Thursday's contest will receive an SDSU Soccer T-Shirt, while 250 Jackrabbit Rally Towels are available for fans at Sunday's game.
A South Dakota Corn Showdown Series point is on the line Thursday, with the Jacks looking to even the 2017-18 series with a win.
SDSU (9-4-3, 5-0 Summit League) clinched a spot in the 2017 Summit League Championships after going 2-0 last weekend, securing their spot at the tournament held in Fargo, North Dakota next month. The Jackrabbits had a pair of 2-0 shutout wins against Fort Wayne and Oral Roberts with goals from Leah Manuleleua in both contests. Rachel Hewitt and Kyli Nelson added goals against the Mastodons and Golden Eagles, respectively, while Jennie Scislow, Julia Lam, Darien Poelstra and Bianca Madonia had assists over the two games.
The Jackrabbits have won seven straight and are unbeaten in their last nine games.
Nicole Hatcher (18 points, six assists) and Leah Manuleleua (15 points, three assists) are tied for the team-lead with six goals each, while Annie Williams sits third on the team in points (seven) behind three goals and an assist. Freshmen Rachel Hewitt and Marisa Schulz have each netted two goals this season.
Between the pipes, Maggie Smither has started 15 games with 16 appearances this year, lowering her goals against average to 0.89 behind four straight shutouts. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota native has picked up 77 saves over 1,414 minutes played on the season and has allowed just one goal in Summit League play. Taylor Lock has been in four contests and has five saves for the season wtih one goal allowed.
Scouting the Coyotes
South Dakota (4-11, 2-3 Summit League) brings a two-game winning streak into this week's matchup and is fighting for a spot in the Summit League Championships. The Coyotes sit fifth in the standings entering the week, six points back of a Denver and Oral Roberts for the fourth spot with two games to go. USD defeated Western Illinois, 1-0, at home last time out after a 6-3 win at Fort Wayne the week prior.
The Coyotes are led offensively by Kellee Willer (three goals, two assists) and Taryn LaBree (three goals, one assist) while Zoe Anderson is third on the team with two goals scored.
Three goalkeepers have split time for USD, with Coral Suarez (10 games) racking up the most time. Suarez has a 1.77 goals against average for the season, allowing 14 goals with 47 saves. Sydney Hardin has 24 saves and a 1.33 GAA in five games and Parker Rytz, who has played in four games, has a 2.70 GAA and 17 saves.
Mandy Green is in her eighth season leading South Dakota and holds a 39-92-15 record with the school
The all-time series is tied, 5-5, with the Coyotes winning last year's matchup in Vermillion, South Dakota. Prior to that loss, the Jackrabbits had claimed five straight in the series and had not lost at the Division I level to USD.
Scouting the Bison
North Dakota State (7-9, 5-1 Summit League) sits tied atop the Summit League standings with South Dakota State entering the week with 15 points, but has just one game remaining while SDSU will play two this weekend. The Bison have won four straight, picking up a 4-0 victory against Fort Wayne last Sunday. NDSU has locked up a spot in the Summit League Championships.
Malley O'Brien has scored six goals and added an assist to lead the team with 13 points this season, while Mariah Haberle (four goals) and Hanna Norman (three goals) are Nos. 2 and 3 in goal count, respectively. Danielle Algera leads the team with four assists.
At keeper, Monica Polgar has started 11 games and holds a 1.39 goals against average, racking up 68 saves with 14 goals allowed. Julia Edelstein has seen time in eight games and has allowed 16 goals with 36 saves.
Mark Cook is in his sixth season as head coach of the Bison, posting a 55-51-4 record in that time.
South Dakota State holds a narrow 10-9-3 lead in the all-time series after picking up wins in the last two matchups. The Jacks are 3-0-1 in the last four meetings with NDSU.
Summit League Tournament Preview
With the win Sunday at Oral Roberts, South Dakota State has secured its fifth consecutive trip to the Summit League Championships and is in the fight for the regular season title and No. 1 seed. The Jacks are sitting tied with North Dakota State in total points (15) but have two games remaining on their docket while NDSU will play just one this weekend.
- A win Thursday would secure at least a share of the regular season title for South Dakota State.
- A tie Thursday means SDSU can finish no lower than second in The Summit League standings.
- Any combination of decisions (two wins, two ties, one win/one tie) secures the regular season title and top spot in the tournament for SDSU. A loss would negate this note.
- Denver and Oral Roberts currently sit fourth with 12 points each, and a decision (tie or win) would lock up their trip to the tournament. Both the Pioneers and Golden Eagles play at Fort Wayne this weekend.
Streaks and Records
- South Dakota State is 5-0 to begin Summit League play for the third time over its 11 years of membership, matching the starts to the 2008 and 2013 Summit League seasons.
- The Jacks have won seven straight and are unbeaten in their last nine games. SDSU has put together winning streaks of four or more in four of its last six seasons, including a six-game winning streak in 2016. The school record for consecutive wins is 10, set in 2008. That number matches the unbeaten streak, set in 2008 and 2011.
- Leah Manuleleua and Nicole Hatcher have both put together streaks of five consecutive games recording a point this season. Hatcher accomplished the feat between Sept. 10 and Oct. 1, while Manuleleua's streak is still going after starting on Oct. 1. Hatcher holds the school record after scoring in seven straight games last year. The five-game streaks rank tied for fifth all-time at SDSU.
- Nicole Hatcher took over the top spot on the school's career assists list, passing Diana Potterveld (21 assists from 2012-15) on Oct. 15. Hatcher now has 22 assists wearing a Jackrabbit uniform. She is tied for seventh in The Summit League all-time.
- Hatcher moved into the top five in career points Oct. 15 and now has 58 career points. She passed Kayla Braffett (56 from 2008-11) and Kelsey Worcester (57 from 2004-07) on Oct. 15 and is now tied for 19th all-time in The Summit League.
Jackrabbit Quick Hitters
- The Jackrabbits' 30 shots against North Dakota on Sept. 15Â were the most by the program since Oct. 25, 2015 when State had 29 against Fort Wayne.
- The Jackrabbits are 19-16-42 in games that go to overtime. In single overtime contests, SDSU is 9-9. In double overtime matches, the Jacks are 10-7-42.
- SDSU's game against Utah on Aug. 22 was its first against a ranked opponent since the 2014 NCAA Tournament when the Jacks faced off against North Carolina Nov. 14. SDSU is 1-7 all-time against Division I ranked opponents, claiming a win in 2008 against No. 15 Colorado in the NCAA Tournament.
- SDSU played a pair of Power Five Schools this season in Iowa State and Utah. All-time against schools from the Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, SEC and ACC, the Jacks are a combined 4-23-5. Three of those wins and two ties have come against Iowa State.
- South Dakota State is 5-11-2 all-time in season openers. In home openers, the team is 6-10-2.
- The Jackrabbits have one five consecutive Summit League openers and are 10-1 all-time in those contests.
Jacks rake in Summit League honors
The Jackrabbits have combined for seven Summit League weekly awards this season between Leah Manuleleua, Nicole Hatcher, Annie Williams and Maggie Smither. Hatcher has been the Summit League's Offensive Player of the Week three times this season while Manuleleua has picked up the honors twice.
- Manuleleua and Smither swept the weekly awards Oct. 23. Manuleleua scored two goals and Smither posted a pair of shutouts with 10 saves to help SDSU go 2-0.
- Hatcher and Williams swept the weekly awards Oct. 16. Hatcher had four points in the week's only game while setting a new school record for career assists while Williams hit the game-winner and anchored a defensive unit to its second straight shutout.
- Hatcher was selected as a Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 2 after notching six points to help SDSU go 2-0. Hatcher had a goal and an assist in both games, hitting an equalizer against Denver and the game-winner against Bellevue.
- Hatcher was picked as the Summit League's Offensive Player of the Week Sept. 19 after netting two goals the week prior.
- Manuleleua was picked as the Co-Offensive Player of the Week Sept. 5 after she netted the game-winner at Creighton, sending the Jackrabbits home with a 3-2 golden-goal victory after her one-touch score in the 93rd minute.
Eyes on the Prize
Despite going winless through the first two games of the season, the Jackrabbits will look to program history and trust its not how you start, but how you finish. Since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 2004, SDSU has gone 0-2 to open a season seven times but has finished with a losing record just once, earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament in three of those seasons.
A New Era
A new face is leading the Jackrabbits for just the second time in program history, as Brock Thompson assumed head coaching duties Jan. 31, 2017 after 17-year head coach Lang Wedemeyer stepped down. Thompson had been with the program nine years prior, dating back to 2008, and brings head coaching experience into the new role. Thompson spent three years as the head coach at University of Mary (Bismarck, N.D.) and three years at the University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, N.D.).
Jacks on the Air
South Dakota State women's soccer and the Jackrabbit Sports Network have announced a partnership with Brookings Radio for three broadcasts this season. Fans can tune into 1430 KBRK-AM for Jackrabbit games against Iowa State (Sept. 1), South Dakota (Oct. 26) and North Dakota State (Oct. 29). The audio will also be streamed for free through the Jackrabbit All-Access portal. Subscribers of the video stream will hear the broadcast as part of their package for those games as well. Tyler Merriam and Kiley Cirillo will call the action. Merriam is the lead play-by-play voice for the Jackrabbit Sports Network, while Cirillo is the Brookings Fútbol Club Director of Coaching. Previously, Cirillo was the head women's soccer coach at the University of Indianapolis and Missouri Southern.
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