WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The Northeastern State women's soccer team is set to compete for the MIAA Championship on Sunday. The No. 3-seeded RiverHawks will meet top seed, host and No. 9-ranked Central Missouri at 1 p.m. Nov. 8 in Warrensburg, Missouri. This is the first time in school history NSU has advanced to the finals of a conference tournament. The winner will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

ABOUT NSU
The RiverHawks (14-4-2) are a part of the MIAA Championship final for the first time since joining the conference in 2012. NSU defeated Missouri Western State in the first round 1-0. The team then tied with Central Oklahoma 1-1 and advanced to Sunday's final by winning the shootout 4-3. Northeastern State will now have to get through the Jennies on their home grounds if it wants to claim the conference trophy. The RiverHawks are the only team who has defeated Central Missouri in Warrensburg this season. They handed UCM a 1-0 loss on Oct. 18. Northeastern State is currently sitting on 14 victories, which are the second-most in a single season in school history.

Northeastern State has set a few high marks this year including scoring 56 goals, which is two shy of the all-time high of 58 set in 2002. NSU has also seen goals from 17 different players, which is the most in the MIAA and the most in program history. Junior forward Anastasia Robinson has been NSU's most consistent player on offense with an MIAA-leading 34 points (12g-10a). Her 10 assists are also the most in the MIAA. Junior midfielder Jennifer Cudjoe has eight goals and seven assists for 23 points. Sophomore midfielder Julia Mathis has done her part with 21 points (6g-9a). Junior goalkeeper Jordan Woodruff (14-4-2) has started all 20 matches between the posts. playing 1,694 minutes. Woodruff has a goals-against average of 0.80 and a saves percentage of .800. She has seven shutouts on the season. The goalkeeper holds the school record for career wins (37) and career shutouts (21).

2015 MIAA WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Wednesday, November 4 (Quarterfinals) (at higher seed)
Match 1: #1 Central Missouri 2, #8 Washburn 1
Match 2: #4 Fort Hays State 2, #5 Southwest Baptist 1
Match 3: #2 Central Oklahoma 3, #7 Nebraska-Kearney 1
Match 4: #3 Northeastern State 1, #6 Missouri Western State 0
Friday, November 6 (Semifinals) (at Warrensburg, Mo.)
Match 5: #1 Central Missouri 3, #4 Fort Hays State 2 (2OT)
Match 6: #3 Northeastern State 1, #2 Central Oklahoma 1 (NSU advances 4-3 in PK's)
Sunday, November 8 (Championship) (at Warrensburg, Mo.)
Match 7: #3 Northeastern State at #1 Central Missouri	1 pm

SCOUTING THE JENNIES  
Name: University of Central Missouri
Location: Warrensburg, Missouri
Conference: MIAA
Record: 18-2
Series History: UCM leads 7-2-1
Top scorers: Julie Ireland (12g-1a=25p) / Megan Woolley (12g-1a=25p)
Assist leader: Abby Rhodes (2g-6a=10p)
Top goalkeeper: Ana Dilkes (18-2) / .407 goals-against average / .893 saves percantage
Other information: As the No. 1 seed, UCM defeated No. 4 seed Fort Hays State 3-2 in double overtime in the semifinals on Friday. Central Missouri is riding a six-match win streak, which also includes a 2-1 win over Washburn in the first round of the league tourney. Ana Dilkes leads the MIAA in goals-against average, saves percentage and clean sheets (10). The last time the Jennies lost was to the RiverHawks, and that was the only time they were defeated at home this season. Last season UCM won the MIAA Championship and made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship before losing 3-1 to Grand Valley State. The Jennies have been to the NCAA Championship each of the last five years.

NSU IN THE MIAA CHAMPIONSHIP
Northeastern State has qualified for the tournament all four years since joining the MIAA. The No. 3 seed assigned to NSU this season is the second highest the team has earned in that span. In 2012, the RiverHawks defeated Northwest Missouri State in the opening round, but then fell to Central Missouri in the semifinals as the No. 4 seed. In 2013, the team was awarded the No. 2 seed but was then upset by No. 7 seed Emporia State in the first round. Last year, as the No. 8 seed, NSU was bounced by No. 1 seed Central Missouri 3-0 in the opening round. Senior forwards Lindsey Latta and McKenzie Musella, along with junior midfielder Kelsey McIntyre, are the only RiverHawks on the current roster to have scored a goal in the MIAA Championship. Latta scored in 2012, Musella scored the game-winning goal in the quarterfinals this year and McIntyre scored against UCO in this year's semifinals.

RIVERHAWKS RAKE IN SCHOOL RECORD 8 ALL-MIAA ACCOLADES
NSU boasted a school-record eight RiverHawks that were named to All-MIAA squads, the league announced Nov. 4. Leading the charge were senior defender Emily Burch, junior forward Anastasia Robinson and junior midfielder Jennifer Cudjoe. All were named to the All-MIAA First Team. Chase Wooten was honored as the 2015 MIAA Coach of the Year after leading NSU from eighth place a year ago all the way up to third in the league table this season. He handed Central Missouri its only home loss of the season and also entered the final week of the regular season in first place in the conference. This was the first time since 1997 that an NSU women's soccer coach was named a conference coach of the year (Charlie Mitchell, Lone Star Conference). Junior goalkeeper Jordan Woodruff and sophomore forward Julia Mathis were selected to the All-MIAA Second Team, and two named to the All-MIAA Third Team were senior midfielder McKenzie Musella and sophomore defender Rebecca Gleason. Junior midfielder Kelsey McIntyre was also selected to the All-MIAA Honorable Mention team.

INDIVIDUAL HIGHS IN THE MIAA
Anastasia Robinson: 1st in points (34), 1st in assists (10), T-2 in goals (12), T-6in game-winning goals (3), 5th in shots (60)
Jennifer Cudjoe: 3rd in shots (63), 5th in assists (7), T-7 in points (23), T-8 in goals (8)
Julia Mathis: 2nd in assists (9), 8th in shots (53), 9th in points (21)
McKenzie Musella:  T-3 in assists (8)
Kelsey McIntyre: T-6 in assists (6)
Jordan Woodruff: 2nd in shutouts (7), 3rd in goals against average (.797), 5th in save percentage (.800), 8th in saves (60)

INDIVIDUAL HIGHS NATIONALLY (top 25)
Julia Mathis: T-13 in assists (9)
Anastasia Robinson: T-8 in assists (10), T-20 in points (34)
 
TEAM HIGHS NATIONALLY (top 25)
T-5 in assists (52)
T-5 in assists per game (2.74)
8th in total points (162)
10th in points per game (8.53) 
12th in total goals (55)
13th in goals per game (2.89)
 
NSU STILL REGIONALLY RANKED
Northeastern State was ranked No. 7 in the third and final installment of the NCAA Central Region rankings, the National Collegiate Athletics Association announced Wednesday afternoon. The top six programs from the Central Region at seasons' end will qualify for the 2015 NCAA Championship. The top two teams from the region will host opening-round matches. NSU was ranked No. 6 in the first two installments of the rankings, but dropped one spot after going 0-1-1 in the last week of the regular season. The No. 6 ranking is the second highest in program history. The NCAA Championship participants will be revealed Nov. 9. NSU is attempting to qualify for the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history.

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