Date/Time/Location: Friday, September 4 / 2 p.m. MT/3 p.m. CT / Moorhead, Minn. / Nemzek Soccer Field

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online at the link above.

NSIC Network: Fans can watch Friday’s contest for free on the NSIC Network.

• Black Hills State is 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.
• During the 2024 season BHSU recorded 18 goals, 15 assists, 184 shots, 81 shots on goal, 33 corner kicks, and 110 saves. On the other hand, their opponents notched 47 goals, 31 assists, 319 shots, 157 shots on goal, 102 corner kicks, and 63 saves.
• In 2024 the Yellow Jackets broke the school single-season record for points (51), goals (18), and assists (15).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Other notable newcomers to watch for the Yellow Jackets this season include Ally Boysen and Peyton Hill, who are both transfers from the University of Wyoming, and Audrey Smith, who was the Jayhawk Conference Division II Offensive Player of the Year with 21 goals and nine assists in 2024 at Allen Community College.
• John Hutchison is in his third season as the head coach at Black Hills State, guiding the Yellow Jackets to a record of 6-23-6. Overall, 2025 is his seventh season as a collegiate head coach with a career mark of 17-66-14 after spending four prior seasons at Presentation College.

• MSU Moorhead is coming off a 1-14-3 (1-11-2 NSIC) season in 2024, which resulted in a 14th place finish in the league standings with five points.
• The Dragons were picked to finish 14th in this year’s NSIC Preseason Soccer Coaches’ Poll.
• During the 2024 season MSUM recorded seven goals, eight assists, 119 shots, 51 shots on goal, 31 corner kicks, and 162 saves. On the other hand, their opponents notched 48 goals, 44 assists, 388 shots, 210 shots on goal, 126 corner kicks, and 44 saves.
• Offensively, Lilly Johnson, was tabbed as the player to watch in the league for MSU Moorhead, tying for the team lead in goals (2) and points (5) a year ago.
• Defensively, Lilly Allen, was named the player to watch in the league in what will be her first season with the Dragons after transferring from Colorado Mesa. For the Mavericks in 2024 she appeared in four matches, tallying 30 minutes of game time.
• MSUM returns both goalkeepers from a last year’s team, which includes both Quinn Carter and Rylee Truslow. Carter appeared in 14 games while making 13 starts, snagging 110 saves with a .809 save percentage and accounting for one complete game shutout and one combined shutout. Truslow appeared in eight matches while making five starts, tallying 49 saves for a .690 save percentage and was a part of one combined shutout.
• Scott Forster is in his second season as the head coach at MSU Moorhead, guiding the Dragons to a 1-14-3 record. Overall, he is in his sixth season as a collegiate head coach with a career record of 15-43-7 after spending four years at Bluefield State University.

SERIES HISTORY

• Friday will mark the third time that Black Hills State and MSU Moorhead have met on the pitch, having split the previous two matches.
• In the last meeting on September 11, 2021, the Yellow Jackets earned a 4-1 victory over the Dragons in Billings, Montana.