FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State soccer will open up Summit League play at Dacotah Field this week, hosting Kansas City on Thursday, Sept. 21, with the game being streamed live on the Summit League Network.
 
The Series
The Bison will meet Kansas City for the 10th time in series history. North Dakota State leads the series 5-2-2. Since Kansas City rejoined the Summit League in 2020-21, the two programs have alternated wins and losses in four meetings, with NDSU claiming a 3-1 win last year.
 
On Bison 1660
The match up with Kansas City is the second of three Bison soccer games this season that will be on the radio on Bison 1660. BJ Walters will have the call for the game.
 
Game Coverage
Thursday's game will be streamed live on the Summit League Network. The game will also have live statistics. Links for coverage are available on gobison.com.
 
Last Week for the Bison
North Dakota State soccer is coming off of a win on senior night last week against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, as the Bison defeated the Lions 3-0. Freshman Amaya Garrett scored her third goal of the season in the sixth minute to put the Bison in front. Elana Webber scored her first career goal and senior Paige Goaley added second half tallies for the Bison.
 
50 at Dacotah
With the victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Bison picked up their 50th program victory at Dacotah Field since moving to the facility in 2013. NDSU is 50-29-6 (.624) all-time at Dacotah.
 
Last Year vs. Kansas City
NDSU picked up a vital win in Summit League play last season, defeating Kansas City 3-1. Loretta Wacek gave the Bison an early lead in Kansas City, but a 77th minute goal from the Roos tied the game. However, goals from Lavin Douglass and Paige Goaley in the final seven minutes gave NDSU an important three points.
 
Webber's First Career Goal Comes in Style
Senior Elana Webber scored her first collegiate goal on Friday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The defensive midfielder struck a one-time shot off of a partial clearance from 27 yards out, placing the strike just inches off the posts in the top right corner.
 
That Goaley Scores
Paige Goaley picked up her second goal of the season on Friday and the ninth of her career. The senior is coming off of an All-Summit League and United Soccer Coaches All-West Region season following a seven-goal campaign in 2022 after her return from missing two seasons with a leg injury. Goaley added five goals in the final month last season, jumping toward the top of the Summit League in goals and points in league play.
 
Freshman Firepower
NDSU's newest players have wasted no time making their mark on the team, with five of NDSU's 14 goals on the season coming by the freshman. Defender Amaya Garrett has scored three goals, including the most recent against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Ava Stanchina (Austin Peay) and Tyreese Zacher (Boise State) have the other two goals.
 
Bison Finding Early Strikes
In the last two games, the Bison have scored three goals in the opening 20 minutes of the game, including a fourth minute goal against Creighton and a sixth minute goal against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Prior to the game against Creighton, six of NDSU's nine goals had come in the second half, with the other three coming in the final 15 minutes of the first half.
 
Wilkinson Continues Climb
Abby Wilkinson has been moving on and up the career charts for the Bison. Wilkinson moved into a tie for eighth on the wins list (10) with her shutout against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. She passed Tara Sweeney for seventh on the all-time goalie games played and started list earlier this year, sitting at 30 in both. Her shutout against UAPB was her eighth cleansheet, moving her into a tie for eighth with Karli Kopietz and two shy of sixth. She also surpassed Sweeney in saves two weeks ago, moving into seventh at 150. Wilkinson has also moved into 10th in goals against average (1.54).
 
Game Over Gang
Against Austin Peay, Ava Stanchina put away the decisive goal in the Bison's first win on the season. Stanchina's goal made her the seventh active Bison with a game winner on their resume and the first freshman on the season to record the honor. At Coastal Carolina, freshman Amaya Garrett joined the list with the game's only goal in Conway, growing the list to eight Bison. Last week, Garrett added her second game-winning goal of the season. Olivia Watson leads the group of eight Bison with five career goals.
 
Picked Fifth in Summit League
North Dakota State was picked fifth overall in the preseason coaches' poll announced on Tuesday, Aug. 15, recording 36 points in the voting. The Bison finished tied for fourth last season after a 4-5 record, including a return to the postseason with a trip to the Summit League Tournament.
 
Experience on Back Line
The Bison returned a wealth of experience on the back line, which led to seven cleansheets last season and three so far this season. The four main players (McKenna Strand, Kaitlyn Hanson, Ashleigh Heely, and Jess Hanley) on the back line in 2022, who all returned this season, have combined to play in 228 games with 170 starts. The group has logged over 15,000 minutes on the pitch, with all four over 3,300 career minutes played.
 
What's Next?
The Bison will remain in Summit League play at Dacotah Field, hosting Omaha on Sunday, Sept. 24. The game will be streamed live on the Summit League Network.