Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus North Dakota on October 2, 2025 at 7 p.m.
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7 p.m.
Women's Soccer
vs North Dakota
South Dakota State University Athletics
Friday, November 11
Lincoln, Neb.
7:05 p.m.
South Dakota State University
at
Nebraska
Photo by: Carrie Snyder / C. Snyder Photography
Jacks open NCAA Tournament at Nebraska
11/9/2016 8:55:00 AM | Women's Soccer
South Dakota State women's soccer opens its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance Friday in Lincoln, Neb., to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the tournament's opening round. Kickoff from Barbara Hibner Stadium is set for 7:05 p.m.
Scouting the Huskers
SDSU in the NCAA Tournament
Back in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year, South Dakota State will look to improve in its 1-3 mark all-time in four appearances. The Jacks' lone NCAA Tournament win came in 2008 when the team upset fourth-seeded Colorado in a neutral site match in St. Paul, Minn. A breakdown of SDSU's NCAA Tournament history is available on page six of the game notes. The Jacks are one of 26 teams to make the tournament the previous three seasons and earned the spot after clinching the Summit League Tournament for the league's automatic bid.
Last Time Out
FARGO, N.D. -- The No. 3 seed South Dakota State made history Saturday as it claimed its third consecutive Summit League Tournament Championship, taking down fourth-seeded Oral Roberts in penalty kicks, 3-2, after a scoreless draw between the two programs at Dacotah Field.
SDSU (10-7-3) had 14 shots on the day compared to ORU (11-9-2), which finished with five as the Jackrabbits earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back-to-back seasons.
Maggie Smither, named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, played all 120 minutes for the Jackrabbits on Saturday and earned one save, stopping three penalty kick shots in the shootout.
Offensively, Nicole Hatcher (two shots on goal) and Tori Poole (one shot on goal) each had three shots for the Jacks as Lauren Kressock and Annie Williams added two. Four others from SDSU put up one shot.
Neither team established itself in holding momentum through the opening 45 minutes, though SDSU held a 5-2 advantage in shots after the first. Late in the period, SDSU looked to take control with three shots in the final three minutes before the pause, but a pair of defensive blocks and a wide shot as time expired sent the teams to the locker room, even at 0-0.
Out the break, the defensive struggle continued between the two programs, though it was SDSU recording the game's first shot on goal in the 61st minute off a free kick from 15 yards out. Â
In the 75th, SDSU had another scoring chance as Bianca Madonia fired a low cross from the near corner to the top of the box, but a Jackrabbit shot sailed high to keep things even. A near identical situation arose just moments later, but a clearance from the ORU defense ended the scoring threat.Â
ORU countered in the 80th with a momentum swing of its own, countering the Jackrabbit attack on a breakway attack before Smither stood firm and stalled the threat with a tip save. The Golden Eagles continued to push with consecutive corner kicks after the save, but SDSU defense stood firm and kept things square.
Nearing the end of regulation, Poole hit a shot in the box with four seconds remaining off a cross from Hatcher before ORU's Ryleigh Bohnenstiehl came up with a diving save to force overtime.
SDSU and ORU traded runs over the opening minutes of the original overtime before the Jacks again took momentum late in the period. ORU was whistled for a foul in the 97th minute of play just to the right of the box, and after a free kick gave the Jacks a corner kick the Jacks sent a header just inches over the cross bar in the 98th.
Headed for the second extra period, the Jacks had a corner kick in the opening minute of action but nothing came of it, and on an ensuing counter attack ORU was whistled for offsides. Two minutes later SDSU had its first shot of the period as Annie Williams took aim, but another save for ORU continued the game. SDSU manufactured several more scoring chances before the end of regulation, but for the second time in the tournament the Jackrabbits found themselves in a shootout.
???????Smither came through in the clutch once again for the Jacks, stopping three consecutive penalty kick efforts as Williams and Ashley hit in the first and third rounds, putting the Jacks ahead 2-0 with two rounds to go. ORU found the net on their fourth and fifth tries, and though SDSU had its fourth attempt blocked, Poole went into the box with a chance to win the title for the Jacks.Â
At the referees whistle, Poole stepped forward, drove her shot past a diving keeper into the net and a mob ensued near the goal line as the Jacks claimed their third consecutive Summit League title.
SDSU Quick Hits
SDSU garners four Summit League AOW's
Entering the final weekend of regular season play, South Dakota State has claimed four total Summit League Athlete of the Week honors for the 2016 season.
National Leaderboard
South Dakota State is listed among the top 150 of several team national leader lists entering the final weekend while Nicole Hatcher and Nicole Inskeep are in (or near) the top 100 of several categories on the NCAA leaderboard.Â
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Eyes on the Prize
Despite going winless through the opening two games, the Jackrabbits have proven over the years it's 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 College Cup in three of the seasons that began 0-2.
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Scouting the Huskers
- The Nebraska Cornhuskers welcome South Dakota State to Barbara Hibner Stadium Nov. 11 for the opening round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The Huskers enter the tournament at 11-5-4 for the year after posting a 5-3-3 record in Big 10 play. Nebraska's conference tournament run came to an end in the quarterfinals, falling in penalty kicks to Northwestern after a scoreless draw. Nebraska went 1-0-1 against common oppponent with the Jackrabbits this season (SDSU went 0-1-1). South Dakota State and Nebraska have never met in regular or postseason, though the teams square off frequently in spring seasons play.
- Nebraska's head coach John Walker, now in his 23rd season, won his 300th career game with the Huskers earlier this season and has them back in the NCAA Tournament for the 22th time in his career. The Huskers are 16-11 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with eight Sweet 16 berths and two Elite Eight appearances.Â
- This season, the Huskers are led offensively by Jaycie Johnson's 24 points and Haley Hanson's 17 points. Johnson has 11 goals on the year with a pair of assists while Hanson has scored seven goals with three assists, tied for second on the team with meg Brant (three assists, two goals). Leading the team in assists is Sydney Miramontez, who has seven.
- Defensively, the Huskers have allowed just 18 goals for the season and 203 shots over 20 games as goalkeeper Aubrei Corder has played every minute with 70 saves and an 0.85 goals against average.
SDSU in the NCAA Tournament
Back in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year, South Dakota State will look to improve in its 1-3 mark all-time in four appearances. The Jacks' lone NCAA Tournament win came in 2008 when the team upset fourth-seeded Colorado in a neutral site match in St. Paul, Minn. A breakdown of SDSU's NCAA Tournament history is available on page six of the game notes. The Jacks are one of 26 teams to make the tournament the previous three seasons and earned the spot after clinching the Summit League Tournament for the league's automatic bid.
Last Time Out
FARGO, N.D. -- The No. 3 seed South Dakota State made history Saturday as it claimed its third consecutive Summit League Tournament Championship, taking down fourth-seeded Oral Roberts in penalty kicks, 3-2, after a scoreless draw between the two programs at Dacotah Field.
SDSU (10-7-3) had 14 shots on the day compared to ORU (11-9-2), which finished with five as the Jackrabbits earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back-to-back seasons.
Maggie Smither, named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, played all 120 minutes for the Jackrabbits on Saturday and earned one save, stopping three penalty kick shots in the shootout.
Offensively, Nicole Hatcher (two shots on goal) and Tori Poole (one shot on goal) each had three shots for the Jacks as Lauren Kressock and Annie Williams added two. Four others from SDSU put up one shot.
Neither team established itself in holding momentum through the opening 45 minutes, though SDSU held a 5-2 advantage in shots after the first. Late in the period, SDSU looked to take control with three shots in the final three minutes before the pause, but a pair of defensive blocks and a wide shot as time expired sent the teams to the locker room, even at 0-0.
Out the break, the defensive struggle continued between the two programs, though it was SDSU recording the game's first shot on goal in the 61st minute off a free kick from 15 yards out. Â
In the 75th, SDSU had another scoring chance as Bianca Madonia fired a low cross from the near corner to the top of the box, but a Jackrabbit shot sailed high to keep things even. A near identical situation arose just moments later, but a clearance from the ORU defense ended the scoring threat.Â
ORU countered in the 80th with a momentum swing of its own, countering the Jackrabbit attack on a breakway attack before Smither stood firm and stalled the threat with a tip save. The Golden Eagles continued to push with consecutive corner kicks after the save, but SDSU defense stood firm and kept things square.
Nearing the end of regulation, Poole hit a shot in the box with four seconds remaining off a cross from Hatcher before ORU's Ryleigh Bohnenstiehl came up with a diving save to force overtime.
SDSU and ORU traded runs over the opening minutes of the original overtime before the Jacks again took momentum late in the period. ORU was whistled for a foul in the 97th minute of play just to the right of the box, and after a free kick gave the Jacks a corner kick the Jacks sent a header just inches over the cross bar in the 98th.
Headed for the second extra period, the Jacks had a corner kick in the opening minute of action but nothing came of it, and on an ensuing counter attack ORU was whistled for offsides. Two minutes later SDSU had its first shot of the period as Annie Williams took aim, but another save for ORU continued the game. SDSU manufactured several more scoring chances before the end of regulation, but for the second time in the tournament the Jackrabbits found themselves in a shootout.
???????Smither came through in the clutch once again for the Jacks, stopping three consecutive penalty kick efforts as Williams and Ashley hit in the first and third rounds, putting the Jacks ahead 2-0 with two rounds to go. ORU found the net on their fourth and fifth tries, and though SDSU had its fourth attempt blocked, Poole went into the box with a chance to win the title for the Jacks.Â
At the referees whistle, Poole stepped forward, drove her shot past a diving keeper into the net and a mob ensued near the goal line as the Jacks claimed their third consecutive Summit League title.
SDSU Quick Hits
- South Dakota State is 10-2-0 this season in games it scores first, setting up a recipe for success as postseason play looms. In games that opponents score first, SDSU is winless at 0-5-2.
- Prior to the Jacks accomplishing the feat, no team had ever won three straight Summit League Tournaments. Oakland, though, took four from 2000-03 when the league previously known as the Mid-Continent Conference up until 2007.
- Nov. 5's Summit League Final was the eighth game of 2016 where the Jacks have gone to the locker room tied 0-0 with their opponent. In those eight contests, SDSU sports a 4-3-1 record.
- Freshman Alexa Hepner is now five minutes away from joining SDSU's top 10 single-season minutes played record list. If Hepner continues her trend of playing every minuteÂ
- The Jacks' win over Denver on Oct. 23 gave the team 10 wins on the year for the fourth consecutive season, and 10th time in program history. Over the last nine years, SDSU has reached 10 wins eight times.
- SDSU has posted nine shutouts this season, matching its season total from 2015. The most shutouts SDSU has ever had in a season, 12, came in 2013. The Jacks also had 12 in 2008 and 11 in 2011.
- Tori Poole's goal at 5:22 against North Dakota State was SDSU's fifth score in the opening 10 minutes of game action this season.
- Over a three-game span from Oct. 1-9, SDSU outshot its opponents, 62-14, combined.
- South Dakota State has trailed at halftime in just three games this season, against Kansas and at South Dakota and Omaha.
- SDSU's two-goal deficit from 61:13 to 63:42 (a span of only 2:29) against USD on Oct. 14 was the largest deficit the Jacks have faced this season.Â
- SDSU's three-game shutout streak came to an end when ORU scored in the second half of the Oct. 9 game, but not before SDSU strung together over 328 minutes of scoreless play on the defensive end.
- Nicole Hatcher recorded a point in seven straight games from Sept. 11 to Oct. 9, setting a school record for points in consecutive games. The previous record of six was set twice by Diana Potterveld during her career. The Jackrabbits' six-game winning streak from Sept. 11 to Oct. 9 this season was the program's second longest in history and matched the six-game winning streak from Sept. 22 to Oct. 19, 2013. The longest winning streak in program history is 10, set during the 2008 season.
- SDSU has now scored three or more goals in five games this season, the highest total in that category since 2014 when the team had six three-plus goal games.  The five goals scored against ORU is the most since Sept. 22, 2013 when the Jacks defeated North Dakota, 3-0.  Five goals is the most in Summit League play for SDSU since Oct. 26, 2012 in a 6-1 win at Omaha.
- South Dakota State has already seen 13 separate individuals players score this year, passing its totals from the previous two seasons and approaching the program record for that mark. SDSU had 10 players find the net in 2015 and nine score in 2014. The Jacks have reached double digits for individuals scoring on nine occasions, including a program-high 14 in 2010. The Jacks had 13 individuals find the net in 2003 and have twice (2008 and 2013) seen 12 players score.
- South Dakota State secured a winning non-conference regular season record for the fifth time since joining NCAA Division I with wins over UMKC and Drake in its last weekend out. SDSU last had a winning non-conference regular season record in 2013. The non-conference schedule included three contests with Power Five schools this season, and one against a school out of the BIG EAST. SDSU dropped a 1-0 contest at Iowa State (Big Ten) this year before drawing 1-1 against Kansas (Big 12) at home. The final Power Five contest for SDSU was a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in double overtime to Wisconsin. In addition to those three, SDSU also had a non-conference game with Creighton, out of the BIG EAST.
- SDSU has five double overtime games this season and sports a 1-1-3 record in those games. The Jacks had back-to-back overtime contests in the Summit League Tournament en route to shootout wins in both contests. Historically, the Jacks have played well in overtime periods, claiming a 17-15-38 mark in combined games between single and double overtimes. The Jacks are 7-9 all-time in single overtime contests and 10-6-38 in double overtime games. The most overtime games in a season for SDSU was 12 in 2003. Since moving to the Division I level, SDSU's overtime high is six, which came last season.
- The Jacks have been in five penalty kick shootouts all-time, and advanced in four of those, including back-to-back shootout wins in the 2016 Summit League Tournament.
- After a No. 3 seed had never won the Summit League title as of 2015, South Dakota State has now claimed the tournament championship as a three-seed in back-to-back years, moving its record to 2-0-3 all-time as the No. 3 seed Summit League Tournament play.
- SDSU is 9-1 in Summit League openers, with its lone defeat coming in 2012.
- The Jacks are 5-10-2 all-time in season openers.Â
SDSU garners four Summit League AOW's
Entering the final weekend of regular season play, South Dakota State has claimed four total Summit League Athlete of the Week honors for the 2016 season.
- Nicole Hatcher earned Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week honors on Sept. 19 and also snagged the award on Oct. 10
- Lindsee Larson was picked as Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12
- Maggie Smither was named co-Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 6.Â
National Leaderboard
South Dakota State is listed among the top 150 of several team national leader lists entering the final weekend while Nicole Hatcher and Nicole Inskeep are in (or near) the top 100 of several categories on the NCAA leaderboard.Â
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| Team Rankings | ||
| Goals Against Average | 0.7 | 24th |
| Fouls Per Game | 7.1 | 48th |
| Shutout Percentage | 0.45 | 51st |
| Total Goals | 30 | 111st |
| W-L-T Percentage | 0.575 | 114th |
| Total Points | 82 | 122nd |
| Scoring Offense | 1.5 | 126th |
| Points Per Game | 4.1 | 133rd |
| Save Percentage | 0.786 | 134th |
| Total Assists | 22 | 137th |
| Individual National Rankings | ||
| Total Assists (Hatcher) | 10 | 12th |
| Assists Per Game (Hatcher) | 0.5 | 19th |
| Game-Winning Goals (Hatcher) | 4 | 55th |
| Goals Against Average (Inskeep) | 1.02 | 102nd |
| Total Points | 22 | 110th |
Eyes on the Prize
Despite going winless through the opening two games, the Jackrabbits have proven over the years it's 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 College Cup in three of the seasons that began 0-2.
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Players Mentioned
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