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, November 2
Fargo, ND
2:30 p.m.
South Dakota State University
at
North Dakota State University
Photo by: Jason Salzman
Summit League Championship on tap for soccer
10/31/2017 11:15:00 AM | Women's Soccer
| Â GAME 19: #1 seed South Dakota State (11-4-3, 7-0) vs #4 seed North Dakota State (7-10, 5-2) |
|  When |  Thursday, Nov. 2 | 2:30 p.m. | |
|  Where |  Dacotah Field | Fargo, North Dakota | |
| Â Live Video | Â TheSummitLeague.org | |
| Â Live Stats | Â GoJacksLive.com | |
|  Game Notes |  South Dakota State | North Dakota State | |
| Â Social Media | Â Twitter | Facebook | #RabbitsFutbol | |
| Â Tournament Links | Â Tournament Page | Bracket (PDF) | |
Previewing the Summit League Championship
South Dakota State women's soccer heads for Fargo, North Dakota this week for the 2017 Summit League Championship as the No. 1 seed, entering the tournament as the favorite for the first time since 2014. The Jackrabbits are looking for their fourth-consecutive Summit League Tournament Championship after claiming the regular season crown in dominating fashion last time out.
The Jacks face off with fourth-seeded (and host) North Dakota State in the semifinal bout Thursday at 2:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to Saturday's championship game against either No. 2 seed Denver or No. 3 seed Oral Roberts at Noon. The tournament champion earns the league's automatic bid.
SDSU (11-4-3, 7-0 Summit League) completed the perfect league season with a 2-0 mark last week, taking down rivals South Dakota and NDSU, 2-0 and 4-0, respectively. The Jackrabbits have won nine straight and are unbeaten in their last 11 matches, a new school record.
The Jacks are making their fifth consecutive appearance in the league tournament and have qualified nine times out of 10 eligible seasons in the league. South Dakota State has now won five regular season titles, claiming the regular season nod in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2014 as well. This is the third season SDSU has won the title outright.
Nicole Hatcher (21 points, seven assists) and Leah Manuleleua (17 points, three assists) are tied for the team-lead with seven goals each, while Annie Williams is third on the team in points (eight) with three goals and two assists. Freshmen Rachel Hewitt and Marisa Schulz have each netted two goals this season.
Between the pipes, Maggie Smither has started 17 games with appearances in all 18 contests on the year, lowering her goals against average to 0.80 in 2017 with six consecutive shutouts. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota native has picked up 83 saves over 1,582 minutes played on the season and has allowed just one goal in Summit League play. Taylor Lock has ben in five contests and played 99 minutes, giving up one goal with five saves.
Scouting the Bison
North Dakota State (7-10, 5-2 Summit League) is the fourth seed in this weekend's championship, but entered the final day of the regular season one win away from the No. 1 seed. The Bison are 4-1 over their last five games, with the only loss a 4-0 defeat at South Dakota State last Sunday.
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 12 games and holds a 1.65 goals against average, racking up 71 saves with 18 goals allowed. Julia Edelstein has seen time in nine games and has allowed 16 goals with 36 saves.
Mark Cook is in his sixth season as head coach of the Bison, posting a 55-52-4 record in that time.
South Dakota State holds an 11-9-3 lead in the all-time series after picking up wins in the last three matchups. The Jacks are 4-0-1 in the last five meetings with NDSU.
Scouting the Pioneers
Denver (9-8-1, 5-2 Summit League) earned the No. 2 seed for the tournament after winning its final three games of the regular season. The Pioneers' only losses have been to South Dakota State and Oral Roberts, its first-round opponent.
Jessie Dancy (12 goals, two assists) and Hannah Adler (nine goals, four assists) rank among the league's top offensive threats with 26 and 22 points on the year, respectively, while Meg Halvorson has added five goals and one assists for an 11-point season thus far.
The Pioneers have allowed 30 goals on the season, with Brittany Wilson (17 starts) playing a majority of minutes at keeper. Wilson has played 1,527 minutes in the position, allowing 22 goals with a 1.30 goals against average.
Jeff Hooker is in his 26th season leading the Pioneer women, posting a 336-143-44 record with the women. He was also the men's coach for two seasons and holds a combined record of 356-155-48 over 28 seasons as a head coach.
South Dakota State leads the series with Denver, 4-1-2 and hasn't lost since the inaugural meeting in 2013. Earlier this season, State claimed a 2-1 overtime win in its Summit League opener Sept. 29. The teams faced off in the 2016 Summit League semifinals, with the Jacks advancing on penalty kicks (4-2) after a 1-1 tie.
Scouting the Golden Eagles
Oral Roberts (8-9-1, 5-2 Summit League) is the third seed at the Summit League Championship and is 4-1 in its last five games, defeating Fort Wayne in the season finale. ORU joins SDSU as the only teams to defeat Denver and NDSU this year.
Jordan Langebartels (six goals) paces the team with 12 points on the season while Caitlyn Hanslovan (four goals, two assists) has 10 points. Amanda Dial is third in points (nine) behind three goals and three assists, while Amogelang Motau is even with Hanslovan in goals (four).
Ryliegh Bohnenstiehl has started 14 games this season and allowed 16 goals, posting a 1.19 goals against average with 64 saves.
Head coach Roger Bush is 47-40-9 in five seasons leading the Golden Eagles.
South Dakota State leads the all-time series with Oral Roberts, 9-1-1, with the only loss coming in 2015. The Jackrabbits claimed a 2-0 win at ORU two weeks agao, and last season, picked up a 5-1 win at home before playing to a scoreless tie in the 2016 Summit League Tournament Championship. State earned the title with a shootout victory.
Streaks and Headlines
- South Dakota State went undefeated in Summit League play for the first time in program history, besting its 2008 record of 7-1 to earn its fifth regular season crown.
- The Jacks have won nine straight and are unbeaten in their last 11 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.
- The Jackrabbits'Â six-game shutout streak is tied for third-longest in program history, matching its total from 2013. The school record for consecutive shutouts is eight, set in 2008 and 2011. All told, South Dakota State has not allowed a goal in over 597 minutes of game action.
- 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 started Oct. 1 and ended Oct. 26 against USD. 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 23 assists wearing a Jackrabbit uniform. She is tied for sixth in The Summit League all-time.
- Hatcher moved into the top five in career points Oct. 15 at SDSU and now has 61 career points. She passed Kayla Braffett (56 from 2008-11) and Kelsey Worcester (57 from 2004-07) on Oct. 15 and is now 17th all-time in The Summit League.
Jackrabbit Quick Hitters
- The Jackrabbits' win over South Dakota Oct. 26 gave the team 10 wins for the fifth consecutive season. The program has won 10 or more games 11 times in its history, including nine times in the last 10 years.
- South Dakota State is 8-1-1 in matches it scores first this season. In games the opponent scores first, the Jacks are 3-3-1. There has been one 0-0 draw this season.
- 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 won five consecutive Summit League openers and are 10-1 all-time in those contests.
Jacks Rake in Summit League Weekly Honors
The Jackrabbits have combined for eight Summit League weekly awards this season between Leah Manuleleua, Nicole Hatcher, Annie Williams, Maggie Smither and Alexa Hepner. Hatcher has been the Summit League's Offensive Player of the Week three times this season while Manuleleua has picked up the honors twice.
- Hepner earned defensive honors Oct. 30 after helping the team to a pair of shutout wins to clinch the Summit League regular season title.
- 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, North Dakota) and three years at the University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, North Dakota).
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