WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State University Warriors women's soccer team closes out the regular season with a pivotal home matchup vs. the Peacocks of Upper Iowa. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium.
The Warriors need a win on Friday night coupled with a loss by Wayne State to qualify for the NSIC Tournament for the 22nd time in the team's illustrious 25-year history. Friday's tilt also doubles as Senior Night with Winona State recognizing eight players prior to kickoff.
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SCOUTING UPPER IOWA: The Peacocks (3-10-4) are riding a three-game losing streak, most recently suffering a 4-0 setback vs. Southwest Minnesota State. Upper Iowa (3-8-3 NSIC) is out of postseason contention and will look to play spoiler in their final game of the 2019 season. The Peacocks are a very well-balanced team, as their 13 goals on the year have come from nine different players. Leading the way is sophomore Haley Ramberg (3) followed closely by senior Facienne Graham and freshman Aimee Kemper with two apiece. Graham also leads the Peacocks in assists (2). Goalkeeper Natalie Rudrud is one of the best in the NSIC as she leads the conference with 116 total saves, a mark that ranks 15th among all DII keepers. Her .811 save percentage ranks ninth in the NSIC.
IN THE HUNT: Despite the Warriors' recent struggles, they still have a shot at making the NSIC playoffs for the third time in the last four years. A Winona State win and a win by Augustana over Wayne State would secure the eighth and final playoff spot for the Warriors. WSU enters Friday two points behind Wayne State. A Wildcat win or tie would secure the last spot for Wayne State. The Warriors are looking to break a two-game streak in their regular season finale and get some help from the Vikings.
THE GREEK FREAK: Junior Georgette Topalis has been the offensive catalyst for Winona State this season, registering a career-best seven goals. She has made the most of her scoring opportunities all year, landing half of her 14 shots on goal in the back of the net. Topalis has also tallied one assist and ranks 13th in the NSIC in total points (15).
SPEED KILLS: The Warriors have some of the fastest players in the conference running down the line in senior Courtney Wiencek and freshman Jaida Wiege. Both have tallied three goals on the year while Wiencek has a team-leading three assists with Wiege right behind at two. Winona State has been able to play through the outside a lot more this year because they know that no matter how far the ball goes, Wiencek and Wiege can run it down. Wiege has used her pace to unload a team-high 51 shots on the year. Although only three have gone in the net, the opportunities she creates with her speed and shots make way for other players to get even better chances.
SENDING THEM OFF: The 2019 senior class consists of Taylor Richards, Mariah Northrop, Macy Miller, Kendyl Keay, Taylor Johnson, Alyssa Reynolds, Courtney Wiencek and Bridget Doran. This group of seniors has won 32 games in their four years as Warriors while scoring 26 combined goals with 22 career assists. A win against Upper Iowa and a berth in the playoffs would be the perfect way for these seniors to finish their final game at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium.
