TAHLEQUAH -- The Northeastern State Women's Soccer team will return to DeLoache Field for two home matches this weekend. They will open the weekend Friday against Central Missouri and finish on Sunday against Missouri Southern State.

First Touches
1. The RiverHawks are 5-2-1 this season, with a 0-1 mark in conference play. They split their matches last weekend beating Newman 3-2 on Friday in a non-conference match before dropping their MIAA opener to Central Okla. on Sunday. 

2. Against Newman, it was Paulina Chavez who made the difference. She scored in the 74th minute to give NSU the lead. The RiverHawks held on thanks to two saves from Ainsley Cunningham.

3. Mariah Nicolet leads the RiverHawks with five goals, though Chavez is right behind her with four. Nicolet also leads the RiverHawks with 16 shots on goal and three match-winners. Sarah Rector has two assists on the season. 

4. Chase Wooten is in his ninth season as head coach of the RiverHawks, with a career record of 113-52-15, the best in school history. He has taken NSU to the MIAA Tournament for seven straight seasons, including a berth in the conference finals in 2015.

5. The Jennies enter the weekend seventh in the nation with a 7-1 record, and a 1-0 mark in conference play. They have won five consecutive matches, with their last loss coming on Sept. 13. They opened conference play Sunday with a 4-0 win over Northwest Missouri. Makayla Toth has seven goals this season to lead the team, with three match-winners. Kassie Newsom and Macy Ruffalo both have four goals, while Haley Freeman has six assists to lead the team in that category. Newsom also leads the team with 15 shots on goal. 

6. The Lions enter the weekend with a 2-6 record. They are 1-0 in conference play after defeating Missouri Western 4-1 on Sunday. They will take on Rogers State on Friday before facing the RiverHawks. Bailey Belcher leads the Lions with three goals and 13 shots on goal, while Riley Laver has made 51 saves in net in eight matches played. 

Looking Ahead: The RiverHawks will continue MIAA play with home matches against Washburn (Oct. 11) and Emporia State (Oct. 13).