SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University women's soccer team will continue a 4-game road swing as the regular season continues to wind down, with the Yellow Jackets making stops at Fort Lewis and Western Colorado this weekend. BHSU will look to secure crucial points in the contests in order to keep their postseason hopes alive, facing the Skyhawks at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 25, at Dirks Field in Durango, Colorado, and the Mountaineers at 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 27, at the Rady Family Sports Complex in Gunnison, Colorado.
 
GAME 1 DETAILS AT FORT LEWIS
Date & Time: Friday, October 25 at 7 p.m.
Location: Durango, Colo. – Dirks Field
 
GAME 2 DETAILS AT WESTERN COLORADO
Date & Time: Sunday, October 27 at 11 a.m.
Location: Gunnison, Colo. – Katy O. Rady Field at the Rady Family Sports Complex
 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• Black Hills State enters this weekend's RMAC games with a record of 2-8-4 (2-5-1 RMAC) following a pair of losses on the road to UCCS (4-1) and CSU Pueblo (3-0).
• With four regular season RMAC games remaining the Yellow Jackets are currently tied for tenth in the conference standings with seven points.
• During the 2024 season BHSU has recorded 14 goals, 13 assists, 126 shots, 56 shots on goal, 22 corner kicks, and 81 saves. On the other hand, their opponents have notched 33 goals, 24 assists, 237 shots, 114 shots on goal, 91 corner kicks, and 42 saves.
• The Yellow Jackets currently rank third in the RMAC and are 51^st in NCAA Division II in saves per game (5.86).
• Leading the offensive attack for the Yellow Jackets is Paige Hill who has tallied 11 points on four goals and three assists, while Anacel Valenzuela-Acosta has added nine points with three goals and three assists. Additionally, Jayda Hammer and Katy Vinton have each totaled six points apiece, with Hammer recording three goals, while Vinton has collected two goals and two assists.
• Hill currently ranks sixth in the RMAC in points and seventh in total goals. She is tied with Valenzuela-Acosta for sixth in the league in total assists.
• Spearheaded by Allie Brown who has played in 69 matches while making 60 starts during her career, the Black Hills State back line has recorded three shutouts this season against Carroll, Minnesota Crookston, and New Mexico Highlands. The trio of clean sheets is the second most in a single season in program history and is only one shy of the school record mark of four set in 2023.
• While Brown has played a team-leading 1,248 minutes of action this year, other notable defenders include Ainsley Wilson and Bria Sargent who have recorded 1,199 and 726 minutes of playing time respectively thus far in 2024.
• Makayla Dannelly has been the primary goalkeeper this season for BHSU, playing and starting in ten contests where she has made 63 saves for a .741 save percentage and a 2.30 goals against average. She has posted one shutout during the season, holding Carroll scoreless in the season opener. Dannelly ranks second in the RMAC in saves per game (6.30) and third in total saves, while also ranking 30^th and 52^nd nationally in the categories respectively.
• Other goalkeepers that have played in reserve include Allanah Facio who has played in five matches and made two starts where she has recorded eight saves and has been a part of two combined shutouts, while Zoe Wiggall has played in three matches and made two starts where she notched ten saves and was a part of one combined shutout.
• John Hutchison is in his second season as the head coach of the Yellow Jackets.

FORT LEWIS STORYLINES

• Fort Lewis enters this weekend's RMAC games with a record of 6-4-2 (3-3-1 RMAC) following a loss at No. 22 Colorado Mesa (3-1) and a draw at Westminster (1-1) last weekend.
• With five regular season games remaining, the Skyhawks are currently tied for sixth in the conference standings with ten points.
• During the 2024 season FLC has recorded 23 goals, 18 assists, 181 shots, 77 shots on goal, 47 corner kicks, and 49 saves. On the other hand, their opponents have notched 17 goals, 15 assists, 136 shots, 66 shots on goal, 40 corner kicks, and 54 saves.
• Abila Tapia leads the Fort Lewis offense with ten points on the season, scoring a team-leading four goals and adding a pair of assists. Josie Coulter and Danielle Gonzales are tied for a team-best three assists on the year.
• Rachel Peebles spearheads the Skyhawk backline as she has played a team-leading 970 minutes this season. Another notable defender to keep an eye on includes Elizabeth David, who has played a total of 968 minutes. The pair has each recorded one goal this season, while David has also added an assist.
• FLC has split time in goal between Riley Bravin and Katlyn Rosenbaum, as each have played in all 12 contests and have made six starts apiece. Rosenbaum has made a team-leading 25 saves with a .714 save percentage and a 1.65 goals against average, while Bravin has recorded 23 saves with a. .767 save percentage and a 1.27 goals against average. The duo has combined for three shutouts this year.
• Damian Clarke is in his 13^th season as the head coach at Fort Lewis.

SERIES HISTORY

• Friday will mark the eighth all-time meeting on the pitch between Black Hills State and Fort Lewis, with the Skyhawks leading the series 6-0-1.
• FLC extended their winning streak to three games on October 20, 2023, with a 3-0 win over BHSU at the Black Hills Power Sports Complex in Spearfish.

WESTERN COLORADO STORYLINES

• Western Colorado enters this weekend's RMAC games with a record of 3-7-3 (2-3-2 RMAC) following a pair of losses at Westminster (4-0) and at home against No. 22 Colorado Mesa (3-0) last weekend.
• The Mountaineers enter the final five games of the regular season ninth in the conference standings with eight points.
• During the 2024 season WCU has recorded 11 goals, six assists, 111 shots, 62 shots on goal, 39 corner kicks, and 108 saves. On the other hand, their opponents have notched 29 goals, 18 assists, 290 shots, 137 shots on goal, 78 corner kicks, and 51 saves.
• Cianna Thomas leads the offensive attack with seven points off three goals and an assist.
• Ellie Kubena spearheads the Mountaineer backline, playing a team-leading 1,087 minutes while scoring a pair of goals. Other key defenders to keep an eye on include Malia Ramdhanny, who has also scored one goal, and Karly Morkunas, as the pair has tallied 998 and 989 minutes respectively.
• The primary goalkeeper for WCU will be Aubree Orosco, who has played in 11 games while making ten starts. She has recorded 82 saves with an .820 save percentage and a 1.84 goals against average as she has posted a pair of shutouts.
• Joshua Alcala is in his first season as the head coach at Western Colorado.

SERIES HISTORY

• Sunday will mark the eighth all-time meeting between Black Hills State and Western Colorado on the pitch, with the Mountaineers leading the all-time series 6-1.
• WCU extended their win streak in the series to three games with a 2-0 victory over BHSU on October 22, 2023, at the Black Hills Power Sports Complex in Spearfish.