The Cougars aim to bounce back after a hard-fought weekend at home and continue building momentum toward the second half of NSIC play.

Cougar Notes

• USF sits at 4-4-1 overall and 2-3-1 in NSIC play, entering the weekend ranked sixth in the conference in total goals (13).

• Addison Van Zee leads USF with five goals and ten points — both among the top marks in the NSIC. Her five goals are tied for the most in a single season during the program's DII era.

• Sadie Hunter has added three goals, including a game-winner, while Mariah Siem has contributed two goals and continues to be a consistent attacking presence.

• Goalkeeper Morgan Jost owns a 1.14 goals-against average with three clean sheets in seven starts.

• The Cougars have outshot opponents 89-78 on the season and continue to show strength on set pieces, earning 33 corner kicks.

Scouting Northern State (1-6-2, 1-3-2 NSIC)

The Wolves come into the weekend looking to build on recent improvements after earning a 4-1 win over MSU Moorhead and a scoreless draw with Minnesota Crookston. Northern State has scored seven goals across nine matches, led by Jaylee Hofer with three goals and an assist.

Deshani Peters, Kailyn Poppen and Savannah Funk have each added a goal and assist to the attack, while the Wolves' defense has shown resilience despite facing over 140 opponent shots this year.

In goal, Ilee Neemeyer and MacKenzie Turner have split duties, combining for 53 saves and a 0.768 save percentage. The Wolves are 0-1-1 at home this season and will look to secure their first home victory of the year against USF.

Scouting Jamestown (1-7, 1-5 NSIC)

The Jimmies enter the weekend at 1-7 overall, recently picking up their first win of the season in a 1-0 road victory over Minnesota Crookston. Jamestown has been tested by a challenging schedule that includes several top-tier NSIC programs, with four goals scored across eight matches.

Offensively, Nellie Brown leads the Jimmies with one goal and one assist, while Bailey Fox, Langley Grow, and Abrianna Madill have each added a goal. In net, Skylar Lind has logged every minute this season, posting 59 saves with a .776 save percentage and one shutout.

Jamestown has not scored in the first period yet this season while conceding 10 of their 17 goals. Expect the Cougars to be aggressive early, putting pressure on the Jimmies.

Coach's Corner

"We are in that middle period of the season where there are a good number of games left, but not a lot of time left to go. With 9 games remaining and 27 points available, we have an opportunity to climb closer to where we want to be in the table," says Head Coach Joe DeMay.

"Northern and Jamestown will have the same idea, so these are going to be crucial tests for us this season. We feel good about where we are at after facing 2 of the top four teams in the standings this past weekend, but we can never take anything for granted in the NSIC. Every week there are what seem like surprises on the scoreboard, but this conference is filled with quality players and quality coaches, so you must be ready to bring your A game in every single match.

We will face two distinct challenges between Northern and Jamestown. Both have very clear ideas about how they want to play, so it's critical to be on point with and against the ball to try to mitigate what they are good at while maximizing our own strengths. 

What I love about this group of people is that they rise to the occasion and grow from every opportunity to presented to them. Success isn't a straight line, but we can always count on everyone in the room to continually give their all to push us forward, so we reflect, learn, and use what we experienced to get better every day. You never know what tomorrow or the weekend will bring, but I know there is not another group of people I'd rather experience it all with than the players and staff we have. "

How to Watch/Follow

Fans can follow both matches with live stats and streaming links available at USFCougars.com.

• Friday, Oct. 10 – at Northern State (6 p.m.)

• Sunday, Oct. 12 – at Jamestown (12 p.m.)

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