Soccer wraps up regular season at Denver

GAME 19: South Dakota State (14-3-1, 6-0-1) at Denver (9-4-3, 5-0-1)

When	Thursday, Oct. 31 \| 7 p.m. CST / 6 p.m. MST
Where	University of Denver Soccer Stadium \| Denver, Colo.
Live Video	Not Available
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #RabbitsFutbol

South Dakota State women's soccer heads to Denver, Colorado for its regular season finale Thursday. The Jackrabbits and Denver Pioneers kick at 7 p.m. CST / 6 p.m. MST at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.

SDSU (14-3-1, 6-0-1 Summit League) sits first in the league standings, one-half game ahead of Denver. The Jackrabbits can clinch the No. 1 seed with a victory Thursday night. A tie gives SDSU at least a share of the regular season crown, with championship seeding determined after the Pioneers conclude their season Sunday.

Leah Manuleleua is second among Summit League goal scorers, finding the net 10 times with a nation-best seven game-winners. Manuleleua has added four assists in her 18 starts, sitting first in the league with 24 points.

Maya Hansen's seven goals are second on the team, as the freshman sits fourth in the Summit League in goals and points (16). The Savage, Minnesota native has four goals against league opponents, and sits just behind Manuleleua (27) with 22 shots on goal.

Karlee Manding (three goals, two assists), Carina McLennan (two goals, two assists) and Sunniva Dunagan (two goals, two assists) round out the top scorers for South Dakota State. The team has seen eight different Jackrabbits combine for 27 team goals, while 10 student-athletes have at least one assist.

Two-time Summit League Goalkeeper of the Year Maggie Smither has been a steady force all season, logging a nation-leading 13 shutouts with 83 saves. Smither has played 1,523:58 minutes between the pipes, posting a 0.30 goals against average with a 13-3-1 record.

Manuleleua, Carina McLennan, Marisa Schulz, Darien Poelstra and Rachel Preston have started every game for SDSU this season. Preston has teamed with Kaitlin Zabel and Gabby Vivier-Hannay to lead a lockdown defensive unit this year, as the team has held opponents to 5.06 shots on goal per game and five total goals. Preston leads the team with 1,602 minutes played, while Vivier-Hannay (1,550) and Kaitlin Zabel (1,531) are close behind.

Looking Ahead
South Dakota State and Denver have already secured spots in next month's Summit League Championships in Brookings, though seeding is still up in the air. SDSU can finish no lower than second at this point, and a win secures a third-straight regular season title. A tie would give the Jackrabbits at least a share of the title.

Only one team, Purdue Fort Wayne, has been eliminated from postseason competition. North Dakota, North Dakota State, Oral Roberts, South Dakota, Western Illinois and Omaha all play Thursday, and the picture becomes clearer after those contests.

UND is the closest team to clinching a spot, as a victory against NDSU will secure their trip to Brookings.

The Summit League Championships, presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, are held Nov. 7 and 9 at Fishback Soccer Park.

A Look Across the Pitch
Denver (9-4-3, 5-0-1 Summit League) has two games remaining on its regular season slate and sits one-half game behind the Jackrabbits in the league standings.

The Pioneers have won five consecutive and are unbeaten in their last seven games, pouring in 11 goals over the last two contests in wins over North Dakota (7-0) and Purdue Fort Wayne (4-0).

Sami Feller (six goals, two assists) is the top goal-scorer for Denver, while Natalie Beckman (five assists), Hannah Adler (three assists), Camryn MacMillan (two assists) and Meg Halvorson (two assists) all have four goals apiece.

Brittany Wilson has started 15 games between the pipes, logging 1,414:02 minutes at goalkeeper with eight goals allowed. Wilson boasts a 0.51 goals against average (second-best in the Summit League) and has 29 saves with six shutouts.

Last Time Out
The Jackrabbit women's soccer team played to a 1-1 draw Sunday afternoon against South Dakota, pushing their unbeaten streak to 13 games.

South Dakota State (14-3-1, 6-0-1 Summit League) were plus-seven in shots (17-10) for the game, but saw a second half goal by the Coyotes (7-9-1, 2-3-1 Summit League) snap a 12-match shutout streak and eventually force the tie.

Maya Hansen fired four shots and scored SDSU's lone goal of the afternoon, while Leah Manuleleua finished with five shots and an assist.

Maggie Smither had four saves in the game.

Hansen gave State a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute. The Savage, Minnesota native gathered a ball from Manuleleua in the attacking third, dribbled her way through traffic and buried a left-footed attempt into the net at 19:10.

That lead held until the 47th minute, when the Coyotes drew even with a second-half equalizer from Maddison Sullivan. SDSU looked to regain control with a penalty kick in the 80th, but after failing to convert the opportunity the teams played even to the end of regulation.

State battered the Coyote defense throughout both overtimes, but were unable to break through in one of the golden-goal periods as the game ended in a tie.

Jackrabbits among National Leaders

Leah Manuleleua's seven game-winning goals this season puts her first nationally in the latest NCAA stats release. Additionally, Manuleleua ranks in the top 80 in goals per game (0.56) and is currently tied for first in the Summit League in scores (10) and alone in first in points (24).
Maggie Smither's marks of shutouts (13), and save percentage (.943) are No. 1 in the nation as of Oct. 28, and her 0.30 goals against average is sixth. Smither already set the league's season-shutout record (13) and is a three-time Summit League Defensive Player of the Week this year.

Quick Hitters

The Jackrabbits' 12-game shutout streak was the longest in program history, breaking the previous mark of eight set in 2008 and 2011. All told, South Dakota State did not allow a goal from the 61st minute of a 1-0 loss to Drake on Sept. 6 until the 47th minute of a 1-1 draw against USD. That is a span of 1,156:31 minutes.
That shutout streak also was part of a 12-game winning streak, the longest in school history. SDSU has won four or more games in a row in six of its last eight seasons. The previous school record for consecutive wins was 10, set in 2008.
SDSU broke a league single-season record in shutouts (14) Oct. 24 against North Dakota State
Oct. 13's victory over Omaha was Brock Thompson's 100th career victory along the sidelines. He is in his ninth season as a head coach.
South Dakota State's 3-0 victory over Northern Illinois Sept. 22 capped an impressive road trip, but was also a record-tying performance for the defensive unit. The Jackrabbits surrendered only one shot from the Huskies in the contest, matching a feat that has now happened three times in program history. The last occurrence was in 2010 against UMKC.
Summit League squads combined to post a 42-41-9 record leading up to conference play. That win total is the first time the Summit League has won 40 or more non-conference matches since the 2007-08 season when teams combined to go 41-46-6.
SDSU has won seven consecutive Summit League openers and is 12-1 all-time in those contests.
The Jackrabbits are 6-12-2 all-time in season openers and 8-10-2 in home openers.

Jacks Honored by Summit League
The Jackrabbit soccer team has picked up three weekly honors from the Summit League this season.

Leah Manuleleua (Offensive; Sept. 16) Manuleleua netted game-winners in all three victories, playing 178 minutes for the Jackrabbits in the attacking third. Manuleleua had nine shots (three per game) with seven on goal for the week, growing her team-leading points total to 10 (five goals). The Manteca, California native is now tied for ninth in career goals (17) and second in career game-winning goals (nine). This is her fourth-career Summit League weekly award.
Maggie Smither (Defensive; Sept. 16) Smither continued her strong play between the pipes and posted three shutouts. Playing all 270 available minutes, Smither had 20 total saves for the week, including a 10-save showing against Eastern Washington (her second-career double-digit saves performance). The Sioux Falls native closed the week with seven saves in a 1-0 Jackrabbit win against Minnesota to break the school's shutout record.
Rachel Preston (Defensive; Sept. 23) Preston played all 180 minutes in a pair of shutout victories for the Jacks, topping Northern Iowa, 2-0, and Northern Illinois, 3-0, on the road. SDSU has now won five straight contests with seven shutouts on the year. The Lakeville, Minnesota native anchored State's defensive unit over the two games, limiting the Panthers to three shots on goal Friday before a record-setting performance against the Huskies on Sunday. The Jacks limited NIU to just one shot throughout the contest, matching a program-best feat that had occurred just two times, prior. The last time came in 2010 against UMKC. This is the first weekly award for Preston in her Jackrabbit career.
Maggie Smither (Defensive; Oct. 14) Smither posted a pair of shutout victories between the pipes as the Jackrabbits topped Oral Roberts (1-0) and Omaha (2-0) in league play. The Sioux Falls native recorded six saves in the win over the Golden Eagles and finished the weekend with nine total saves. This was Smither's second weekly defensive honor of the season. She is a six-time Summit League weekly award honoree for her career.
Leah Manuleleua (Offensive; Oct. 21) Manuleleua recorded her 11th career game-winning goal last week, helping the Jackrabbits to a 1-0 victory over Western Illinois. The Manteca, California native followed with an assist in SDSU's 3-0 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne, raising her season points total to 21. Manuleleua ranks second in the league with nine scores this season, and is a five-time Summit League weekly award winner.
Maggie Smither (Defensive; Oct. 21) Smither continued her stellar play between the posts over the weekend, pushing her shutout streak to 11 games with a 12-save performance over the two wins. The Sioux Falls goalkeeper broke the school's career saves record over the weekend. She is a seven-time Summit League Defensive Player of the Week in her career, sitting second for the most awards in league history.

A Pattern of Success
South Dakota State's defensive prowess, senior leadership and nonleague success since joining the Summit League has produced a trend of conference play (and overall season) success. In total, the Jackrabbits' 73 league wins is the top mark among Summit League teams, dating back to 2008.

On the Defensive. Last year's squad allowed just 14 goals for the season, posting the third-best goals against average (0.71) in school history. That played into a two-year GAA of 0.78 (2017-18), the second-best mark at SDSU. The Jackrabbits have put together back-to-back seasons of 1.00 or fewer goals allowed per 90 minutes (game) three times, including the last three seasons (2016-17, 2017-18). Maggie Smither and Kaitlin Zabel bring the most experience to the 2019 defensive unit and will look to continue that trend. So far this year, the Jackrabbit defense has produced 13 clean sheets and allowed five goals (0.27 GAA) in 18 games.
Four-Year Senior Records. South Dakota State's senior class boasts a 47-21-9 record over the last three-plus years, including a 24-4-1 mark in Summit League play with a tournament championship, two regular season titles and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Last year's group finished with 45 victories, the third-most in school history. 49 wins is the best four-year mark (2008-11).
Nonleague Success. Including 2019, the Jackrabbits have posted a plus-.500 record in league play eight times since joining the Summit League and in four of the last five years. SDSU won a program-best eight regular season, nonleague games this year, going 8-3 in the first half of the campaign.

Home Cooking
Brookings has been good to the Jackrabbits, as South Dakota State boasts a 112-42-18 all-time home record, including tournament games at Fishback Soccer Park. Head Coach Brock Thompson, now in his third season, has a 24-3-1 mark at Fishback Soccer Park

SDSU is 47-3-2 against Summit League opponents and has lost just one home league contest since 2010.

Smither nets WPSL honors
South Dakota State's Maggie Smither was announced as the Women's Professional Soccer League's 2019 Central Region Northern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. She also earned the region's Golden Glove award for top keeper.

Smither spent the summer with Mankato United Soccer Club, helping the team to a 6-1-3 record in its inaugural season. She logged time in 10 contests, allowing just four goals with 13 saves, posting a 1.00 goals against average for the squad.

The two-time Summit League Goalkeeper of the Year was one of 10 Jackrabbits to compete in the WPSL this summer, joining Marisa Schulz, MaKayla Griffin, Rachel Preston, Taylor Lock, Eden Brooker, Adalaide Kline, Cecilia Limongi, Shayna Stubbs and Sunniva Dunagan.

SDSU Celebrating 20th Season of Women's Soccer
The Jackrabbit soccer program is celebrating its 20th season as an NCAA sport at South Dakota State University. The previous 19 seasons has seen the program win nearly 200 games, claim 11 conference championships (four Summit League tournament titles, six Summit League regular season trophies and one United Soccer Conference tournament crown), and make four trips to the NCAA Tournament.

In looking back at the past 20 years and celebrating the success of Jackrabbit soccer, fans voted for the all-time Top XI. That team was revealed in four parts during Hobo Week on GoJacks.com recognized during the Oct. 6 game.

Jacks Tabbed Second in Preseason Poll
The Jackrabbit women's soccer program was tabbed second in the 2019 Summit League Preseason Coaches Poll, released early August. South Dakota State garnered 57 points in the rankings with a pair of first-place votes, just behind top vote-getter Denver (63 points, five first-place votes). Those two were widely separated from the rest of the pack, as North Dakota State (41), Omaha (39) and South Dakota (37) rounded out the top five. The final four spots were held by North Dakota (32), Oral Roberts (31), Purdue Fort Wayne (14) and Western Illinois (10).

Smither, Manuleleua Named Players to Watch
SDSU's Maggie Smither and Leah Manuleleua were recognized as Players to Watch by the Summit League as part of their preseason release. Smither is the two-time defending Summit League Goalkeeper of the Year, while Manuleleua returns for her senior season after leading the Jacks in points (14) last year.

Jackrabbits Host GOALD Game
South Dakota State women's soccer and Sanford Children's Cure Kids Cancer! teamed up this season to host the first-ever GOALD Game, Saturday, Sept. 28 at Fishback Soccer Park. The organizations partnered to raise awareness and support during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Jackrabbit soccer sold GOALD Game t-shirts for $10 at the field, with proceeds benefiting Sanford Children's Cure Kids Cancer!, and raised funds online for a "Pie in the Face" contest. SDSU raised a total of $3,984.99 for Cure Kid's Cancer! and nearly doubled its fundraising goal of $2,000.

-GoJacks.com-

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Players Mentioned

Eden Brooker

Sunniva Dunagan

MaKayla Griffin

Maya Hansen

Adalaide Kline

Cece Limongi

Taylor Lock

Karlee Manding

Leah Manuleleua

Carina McLennan

Darien Poelstra

Rachel Preston

Marisa Schulz

Maggie Smither

Shayna Stubbs

Gabby Vivier-Hannay

Kaitlin Zabel

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