SIOUX FALLS — Following their dominating win over Black Hills State, the University of Sioux Falls Women's Soccer Team (1-1-0, 0-0-0 NSIC) begins conference play with a home match against Southwest Minnesota State (0-2-0, 0-0-0 NSIC) on Friday, Sept. 7 for a 5 p.m. contest at the USF Soccer Complex. The Cougars will then turn around and host Missouri Western State (1-1-0) in a non-conference game on Sunday, Sept. 9 with kickoff set for 1 p.m., also at the USF Soccer Complex.
 
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USF beat Black Hills State with offensive Explosion
Behind an aggressive team attack, Juniors Lily McKown and Erin O'Tool as well as freshman Taylor Kelley all scored their first career goals as the USF Soccer Team (1-1-0) defeated Black Hills State (0-3-0), 4-0, in nonconference action.  USF, which led 1-0 at halftime, scored three second-half goals and the four total scores represented the most since Sept. 26, 2015 (USF 4 U-Mary 3, OT). The Cougars controlled the game with their relentless offensive attack and shutdown defense. USF attempted 17 total shots, 11 shots on goal, which resulted in four goals. Kelley, McKown, O'Tool, as well as senior Chessa Novotny, tallied timely goals as USF picked up its first win of the season.
 
USF Defense
USF's junior goalkeeper Brayden Paul recorded her first career shutout which included two saves. The USF defense left little room for the BHSU offense to operate and only allowed four total shots, two of which were on goal. The Cougar defense controlled the entirety of the first half, not allowing a single shot on goal.
 
Series Histories
      Vs. Southwest Minnesota State
Entering Friday's game, the Cougars are 1-5 all time against SMSU. In head coach Brittany Domino's four seasons at USF, she is 1-2 against Southwest Minnesota State. This record includes a 0-2 loss in her first season, a 3-2 overtime loss in her second season, and a 2-0 victory to begin the 2017 conference schedule. SMSU has been USF's NSIC-opening match each year as members of the NSIC and the Cougars will look to win back-to-back conference opener games on Friday night.
      Vs. Missouri Western State
Last season was the first time that the Cougars have faced Missouri Western State in program history. The Cougars scored twice in the contest, but fell to the Griffins, 4-2. USF looks to bounce back from last year's loss and beat Missouri Western State for the first time in program history.
 
Cougars picked to finish 12th in NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll
The USF Soccer Team, which is coming off its best season at NCAA DII, has been picked to finish in a tie for 12th in the NSIC. Directed by fourth-year head coach Brittany Domino, USF had a program-DII-best 5-9-4 overall mark, and was 4-7-4 for 10th in the league in 2017. In the preseason poll, USF received 69 points and sits tied with Wayne State for 12th in the poll.
 
LaFavre continues to live up to preseason hype
USF's NSIC "Player to Watch" is junior Lauren LaFavre, who was named to the third team on the All-NSIC squad after scoring a program-season-best five goals with 12 total points. She was one of three Cougars to make the 2017 All-NSIC team. LaFavre, a junior midfielder/forward from Burnsville, Minn., was named Academic All-NSIC and owns four school records. LaFavre has two shots in two games, and is still looking for her first goal of the 2018 season. She recorded the best offensive season for a USF player in the DII era with 43 shots, 17 shots on goal, five goals, and two assists for 12 points in the 2017 season.
 
Leading the Cougars
In her fourth season at the helm of the USF Women's Soccer program, Domino reached unprecedented territory for USF in their Division II era, finishing with a 5-9-4 overall record, 4-7-4 in the NSIC during the 2017 campaign. The Cougars finished with program bests of five wins overall, four wins in NSIC games, and 16 total points in league play, tying them for 10th place, their highest finish in six seasons as members of the league. Under Domino's direction in 2017, Sioux Falls again improved on both sides of the ball, breaking their previous Division II USF program records in both goals scored and goals allowed. Led by Lauren LaFavre's USF individual season records of five goals and 12 points, the Cougars scored 16 goals as a team and finished with 47 points (16 goals, 15 assists), breaking the 2013 marks of 13 goals and 35 points. On defense, USF allowed just 27 goals with a 1.27 goals against average, both program bests, as McKayla Philippi anchored the midfield and Morgan Perkins finished with a career-best save percentage in goal. LaFavre and Perkins were both named to the All-NSIC third team – the first Cougars to receive that honor – and Philippi earned honorable mention recognition.