North Dakota State Concludes Regular Season at Omaha

The North Dakota State women's soccer team will conclude regular season play with its Summit League finale at Omaha on Sunday, Oct. 28, at 2:15 p.m. A win or tie by the Bison would guarantee NDSU a berth in the four-team Summit League Tournament. Other combinations of results, including a win or draw by Omaha on Friday evening against South Dakota State, can also give the Bison a spot in the tournament.

The Playoff Picture

Five teams are still in the hunt for the four available spots in the Summit League Tournament, which will be held on Nov. 2 and Nov. 4 in Brookings, S.D. Fort Wayne, Western Illinois, Oakland, North Dakota State and South Dakota State still have postseason hopes, while Kansas City, IUPUI and South Dakota have all been eliminated. Omaha, in its first year in the conference, is ineligible for the Summit League Tournament.

About the Omaha Mavericks

Omaha (3-13 overall, 3-3 Summit) started the season 0-10 before rattling off three wins in conference play. The Mavericks have topped league-leading Fort Wayne, South Dakota and Kansas City in The Summit League. After being outscored 28-6 in the non-conference portion of their schedule, the Mavericks own an even 7-7 aggregate score in league play.

        Senior forward Danielle Archuleta leads Omaha with five goals on the year, and sophomore Anna Sibson has tallied four assists. Freshman goalkeeper Meaghan Clark has posted a 2.26 goals against average and a .717 save percentage on the season.

        Omaha hosts South Dakota State at 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26, before meeting the Bison on Sunday.

The Series vs. Omaha

The all-time series with Omaha is split 3-3-0. The schools played once each year from 1999-2003 before renewing the series last season.

Last Meeting with Omaha

Holly Christian scored two goals to lead NDSU to a 3-1 win over Omaha at the Ellig Sports Complex in Fargo on Sept. 18, 2011. Christian netted goals in the 29th and 52nd minutes, and Katie Tallas tacked on another in the 55th minute. The Bison held a significant 22-5 edge in total shots.

Catching Up with the Bison

NDSU (7-9, 4-3 Summit) is in the hunt for its fourth straight trip to the Summit League Tournament after defeating Kansas City, 2-1, on Oct. 21. Over the course of a four-game homestand that lasted from Oct. 12 to Oct. 21, the Bison collected wins over Western Illinois, IUPUI and Kansas City and dropped a 3-2 decision to South Dakota. Sophomore Anisha Kinnarath continues to lead the team in goals (5), assists (6), points (16), shots (54) and shots on goal (31).

In the League

Over the past three seasons, North Dakota State has finished no worse than a tie for second place in the Summit League standings. The Bison were co-champions in 2009, tied for second place in 2010, and claimed second place outright in 2011. Since 2009, NDSU is 24-8-2 in league play.

In the Record Books

• Sierra Bonham's average of 6.2 saves per game is the highest single-season mark in NDSU history.
• Anisha Kinnarath's average of 2.07 shots on goal per game is the third-highest for a season in school history.
• Sierra Bonham's 93 saves rank No. 5 all-time on the NDSU single-season list.
• Anisha Kinnarath's 31 shots on goal this season already rank No. 6 all-time on the NDSU single-season list.
• Sierra Bonham's .816 save percentage is the eighth-best single-season mark in school history.

High Marks for Kinnarath

NDSU sophomore Anisha Kinnarath leads The Summit League with 33 shots and 18 shots on goal in league play. No other Summit League player has more than 20 shots or 12 shots on goal in league play.

        Kinnarath's four assists on the conference season also lead the league. At five goals and six assists on the season, she is the only player in The Summit League with at least four in each category.

Bonham in the Rankings

NDSU redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sierra Bonham is 32nd in the nation in total saves (93) and 84th in save percentage (.816).

Wallenborn Leads the League

Bison senior Jordyn Wallenborn is tied for The Summit League lead with three goals in conference play.

No Place Like Home

Since Sept. 1, 2009, North Dakota State is 27-2-1 in home games.

Balanced Attack

Four Bison have combined to score 15 of the team's 23 goals this season. Sophomore Anisha Kinnarath leads the squad with five goals, senior Jordyn Wallenborn has four, and junior Steph Jacobson and freshman Lizzie Lukas each have three.

Late Strikes

North Dakota State has scored 15 of its 23 goals this season in the second half or overtime.

Free Soccer

Of the 16 matches North Dakota State has played this season, five have gone into at least one overtime period. The Bison are 2-3 in games that go into extra time, with both wins coming at home and all three losses coming on the road.

Share the Wealth

Ten different players have notched goals for the Bison this season, with six having scored two or more.

Valuing Efficiency

Despite a 271-170 deficit in total shot attempts for the season, North Dakota State only trails 26-23 in goals scored through 16 matches. The Bison (13.5%) have a substantial edge over their opponents' shot percentage (9.6%).

Leading the Charge

Sophomore Anisha Kinnarath has recorded 31 shots on goal this season - more than 36 percent of NDSU's team total of 84.

Save Machine

In 15 matches this season, NDSU redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sierra Bonham has totaled 93 saves. She has single-game totals of six (twice), seven (three times), eight, nine, 10 and 11 saves, and her average of 6.20 saves per game is on pace to set the Bison single-season record. The current record of 5.88 saves per game was set by Karli Kopietz in 2005.