SIOUX FALLS – Breaking up their season-opening stretch of five home games in their first three weeks of action, University of Sioux Falls travels to face Southwest Minnesota State on Friday, Sept. 8 for both teams' Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference openers at 4 p.m. in Marshall, Minn. The Cougars (1-1-0, 0-0-0 NSIC) then conclude their non-conference schedule as hosts to Missouri Western State on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. at the USF Sports Complex.
 
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LaFavre scores twice as USF Soccer splits opening weekend
For the third time in four years, USF Soccer opened the season with a point and for the first time in their Division II era, USF won their season opener. Not without drama, the Cougars defeated Colorado Christian, 2-1, on Friday, Sept. 1 at the USF Sports Complex. Senior midfielder Jackie Montes gave USF a 1-0 advantage with goal off Lindsey Power's corner kick in the 23rd minute. The Cougars held onto their lead before CCU broke through for the equalizer in the 86th minute. When overtime seemed imminent, sophomore forward Lauren LaFavre took a Montes pass and found the back of the net, providing the game-winner in the 89th minute. Turning a game-winner into a streak, LaFavre opened the scoring in USF's Sunday contest against Northwest Missouri State with a tally in the 20th minute, using a Kori Fink cross and Chessa Novotny header to set up her second score of the season. Despite the early lead, USF couldn't hold on for their second straight win. NWMSU scored twice in a span of three minutes and USF couldn't respond, which handed them a 2-1 defeat.
 
Series Histories
                                Vs. Southwest Minnesota State
Sioux Falls nearly broke through against NSIC travel partner Southwest Minnesota State, but an overtime goal handed the Cougars their fifth straight loss from SMSU. Entering Friday's game, the Cougars are 0-5 with two losses coming on the road. In head coach Brittany Domino's two season at USF, the Cougars lost a 2-0 game in Marshall, Minn. before dropping last year's overtime contest, 3-2. Southwest Minnesota State has been USF's NSIC-opening match each year as members of the NSIC and the Cougars will look to snap their conference opener skid on Friday night.
 
                Vs. Missouri Western State
Sunday's game against Missouri Western State will be the first time the two programs have met.
 
LaFavre lives up to preseason billing thus far
Honored as USF's preseason offensive player to watch, sophomore midfield/forward Lauren LaFavre has certainly earned that title after the first week of action. The Bursnville, Minn. native scored in each of the Cougars' games, netting the game-winner on Friday night, her second career game-winning goal. Through two games, LaFavre leads the Cougars with six total shots, putting two on frame. Last year, LaFavre finished the season with two goals on 21 shots in 16 games played. With her second goal of the year against Northwest Missouri State, LaFavre tied last season's output with two goals this season.
 
Here to serve and defend
Freshman centerback Lindsey Power has already made an immediate impact for the Cougars. A native of Lindstrom, Minn., Power has played all 180 minutes and been a threat for the Cougars on set pieces. Her corner kick service led to USF's first goal of the season and on several deep free kicks, Power has tested the visiting keepers. Defensively, Power has paired with junior centerback Emma Trittin and helped the Cougars post a 1.50 goals against average through two games.
 
USF picked 13th in NSIC preseason poll
Coming off a year in which the Cougars recorded the most wins and points since their move to NCAA Division II, USF Soccer was picked to finish a program-best 13th in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll. The Cougars finished 14th in the final 2016 standings with a 3-10-2 record in NSIC play. Of the Cougars' 10 conference losses last season, eight were by a one-goal difference. The conference coaches took notice of USF Soccer's improvement under third-year head coach Brittany Domino and USF was slated 13th in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll, the highest in the poll since they joined the league in 2012. The Cougars collected 51 points in the poll while Minnesota State was the favorite with 11 first-place votes and USF's crosstown rival Augustana picked up the remaining five first-place nods to help them to second place.
 
Perkins headlines improving USF defense, named defensive player to watch
Entering her third season at USF, goalkeeper Morgan Perkins anchors the Cougars defense, which has made great strides during the past two seasons. A 5-foot-7 Liberty, Mo. native, Perkins was tabbed as USF's defensive player to watch in the NSIC preseason release. Starting all 18 games last season, Perkins had a .810 save percentage and posted four shutouts, which ranked third in the league last year. She ranked in the top 10 of five different categories among NSIC goalkeepers. Perkins finished the 15-game conference season with a 1.28 goals against average, more than a one-goal improvement from 2015.
 
Back line continues to settle in, mixes experience with youth
In two years under head coach and former defensive standout Brittany Domino, USF has dropped its total goals against average from 3.33 with 61 goals allowed to 1.49 with 28 goals. In conference play, USF allowed just 20 goals, ranking them ninth in the NSIC, and their four shutouts tied them for seventh in the 16-team league. While they will be replacing a centerback from last year's starting XI, the bulk of their back line remains intact. At outside back, Lily McKown returns for her sophomore campaign after earning All-NSIC honorable mention accolades as a freshman. Emma Trittin is a three-year starter as a centerback, logging more than 3,000 minutes on the back line in her time in the purple and white. Becca Schmitz figures to move forward more in 2017, but she was starter for 18 games last season, many of which she manned the outside back position opposite McKown.
 
Newcomers will add depth to the experience the Cougars have fostered over the past two seasons and three first-time USF players should immediately fill in those gaps. Lindsey Power is locked in to a starting spot at the centerback position opposite Trittin, and the freshman can contribute offensively with services on set pieces. Transfer Kori Fink comes in with two years of experience as a defender at Nebraska Wesleyan and dynamic outside back/forward Morgan Lovato will see time as her speed poses a scoring threat from the back line. Erin O'Tool gained experience her freshman season, seeing time in 10 games and Abbie Holter joins the talented freshman class as another capable defender.
 
Leader of the pride
Entering her third season at the helm of University of Sioux Falls Soccer, Brittany Domino looks to continue the growth of her program. Despite the 6-27-4 record in three seasons, Domino has turned the Cougars around with eight one-goal losses in 2016 and cutting her team's goals allowed by more than 30 in two years. A four-year starter for University of Nebraska, Domino is assisted by Kyle Halfpop and Gabe Wortman.