Date/Time/Location: Thursday, September 18 / 7 p.m. / Spearfish, S.D. / Black Hills Power Sports Complex

RMAC Network: Beginning in the 2025-26 season the RMAC Network will now move to Pay-Per-View. Fans can purchase a single game pass ($10), monthly ($25) or annual subscription ($130). Individuals with bhsu.edu or yellowjackets.bhsu.edu email address can still take advantage of the Peak Pricing Promotion by using the code Y26-RMACEDU.

• Black Hills State enters the contest with a record of 1-1-2 following their second scoreless draw of the season, tying 0-0 with Northwestern Oklahoma State in Kearney, Nebraska, last Sunday.
• The 2025 opening weekend was just the second time in program history in which the Green & Gold finished undefeated, drawing at MSU Moorhead (0-0) and defeating Minnesota Crookston (4-1). In 2023 they also went unbeaten on opening weekend, defeating Dakota Wesleyan (6-0) and Mount Marty (5-0). 
• The Yellow Jackets five assists against the Golden Eagles matched the program single game record which was set last fall against New Mexico Highlands.
• The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 3-11-4 (3-8-1 RMAC) season in 2024, finishing 11th in the league standings with ten points.
• After being in the hunt to make the conference tournament last season, the Yellow Jackets have been picked to finish 11th in the RMAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
• In home openers, BHSU is 0-7-2 all-time and is 0-2-0 in such games played at the Black Hills Power Sports Complex.
• Through four games this season Black Hills State has recorded four goals, five assists, 13 points, 58 shots, 20 shots on goal, 21 corner kicks and 13 saves, while on the other hand their opponents have notched two goals, one assist, five points, 25 shots, 15 shots on goal, 11 corner kicks, and 16 saves.
• In 2024 the Yellow Jackets broke the school single-season record for points (51), goals (18), and assists (15).
• This year the BHSU defense have already forced two shutouts, holding opponents to just 6.3 shot attempts and 3.8 shots-on-goal per game.
• Black Hills State returns seven players who scored a year ago, including Katy Vinton and Jayda Hammer who each found the back of the net three times. Additionally, Vinton led the team in assists with three and totaled nine points on the year.
• Four different players scored a goal for the Yellow Jackets this season, including Ella Cornelius (1), Peyton Hill (1), Ally Boysen (1), and Audrey Sillanpaa (1).
• Additionally, four different players notched an assist against the Golden Eagles, including Aubri Roth who assisted on a pair of goals and leads the team in the category.
• Cornelius and Hill each recorded both a goal and an assist against UMC, tying for the team lead in points with three. After happening only once prior to head coach John Hutchison’s arrival, the match against the Golden Eagles marked the fourth time under his watch that multiple players have recorded both a goal and assist in the same match.
• Defensively Ainsley Wilson will lead the back line of defense, coming off an Honorable Mention All-RMAC season in 2024. She started all 18 games, tallying 1,553 minutes of action, and helped the team post three shutouts. The three shutouts were the second most in a single season in program history. The Green & Gold also return Bria Sargent and Rylee Barnes, who appeared in 18 and 17 games respectively as defenders.
• Through four matches, Wilson leads the team with 352 minutes played on the field, while Sargent has also played 329 minutes on the back line of the defense.
• In goal, the Yellow Jackets only return one keeper, Zoe Wiggall who made four appearances, recorded 12 saves and was a part of one combined shutout. BHSU also brings in two newcomers at the position, including Karsyn Fraser-Slothower, who left Hutchinson Community College as the career saves leader, and Rian Barthel, who was a 4-time all-state selection in Wyoming.
• Barthel and Fraser-Slothower have each made two starts and have played 180 minutes in goal in 2025. Barthel received the start in goal in the season opener at MSUM, becoming the first freshman to post a shutout in the season opener in program history, she holds a .889 save percentage, a 0.50 goals-allowed average, and has made eight saves. Fraser-Slothower also holds one shutout on the year after keeping NWOSU scoreless for the first time in their season, as she has tallied a .833 save percentage, a 0.50 goals-allowed average, and has made five saves.
• John Hutchison is in his third season as the head coach at Black Hills State, guiding the Yellow Jackets to a record of 7-24-8. Overall, 2025 is his seventh season as a collegiate head coach with a career mark of 18-67-16 after spending four prior seasons at Presentation College.

• Dakota State enters the contest with a record of 0-8-1 in their inaugural season following a 5-0 loss at Dakota Wesleyan on Tuesday night.
• The Trojans are members of the Continental Athletic Conference for soccer, a conference made up of independent institutions for sport.
• Through nine games DSU has posted six goals, four assists, 16 points, 68 shots, 34 shots-on-goal, 25 corner kicks, and 70 saves, while on the other hand their opponents have notched 37 goals, 30 assists, 104 points, 205 shots, 107 shots-on-goal, 47 corner kicks, and 28 saves.
• Nichole Corona, a freshman, leads the offensive attack for Dakota State, having found the back of the net twice for four points. She scored goals against Concordia and the College of Saint Mary this year.
• Another freshman, Kirsten Piskorski leads the team with two assists on the year, assisting on goals against Briar Cliff and Northwestern.
• Hannah Hint anchors the defensive back line for the Trojans, as the freshman has played 810 minutes of action this season.
• Chloe Mart is the top goalkeeper for Dakota State, appearing in eight matches while making five starts, playing 382 minutes in goal. She holds a .707 save percentage, 4.00 goals-against average, and has made 41 saves.
• Todd Stank is in his first season as the head coach at Dakota State, holding a record of 0-8-1 with the Trojans. He had previously made head coaching stops at St. Clair Community College and Rochester (Mich.). 

• Thursday night marks the first-ever meeting between Black Hills State and Dakota State on the soccer pitch.