SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The first week of League play for Summit League women’s soccer programs went off with a bang with last-minute game-winning goals, historic moments and so much more! Only four matches this week before another full slate of games the following week.  
 
This year, the Summit League introduces a new seeding format as all eight programs are put into two different pods. Pod A is composed of North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota and South Dakota State while Pod B includes Kansas City, Omaha, Oral Roberts and St. Thomas. The Championship shall be a six-team, single-elimination tournament held over two weekends. The top three teams in each pod will automatically qualify, with the runner-up from each pod hosting the quarterfinals against the opposite pod third-place team. The semifinals and championship will be hosted by the higher overall regular season point total winner and designated No. 1 overall seed. Please make sure to check out our Championship page for more information once the bracket is set!
 
In the latest United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer West Region rankings, Oral Roberts stays at No. 2 while South Dakota State ranks No. 10.
 
In the latest NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer RPI rankings, two Summit League programs rank within the top 115. Oral Roberts comes in at No. 80 while South Dakota State is No. 115.
 
The Summit League continues to rank highly among all NCAA Division I conferences, being third in goals allowed (103) and fifth in save percentage (0.770).
 
North Dakota started the action last week with a 4-0 win at home against North Dakota State. The match was a third straight shutout victory for the Fighting Hawks after previously defeating North Dakota State College of Science, 16-0, and FAU, 2-0. The 20-0 combined margin of victory against the Bison and Wildcats is the largest margin of victory between two consecutive games in Summit League history. The 4-0 win over North Dakota State is also the largest margin of victory over the Bison in program history.
 
In the match against NDSU, UND’s Cora Ellermann and Charlie Basinet both had their first braces of the year as both scored two goals each. Goalkeeper Thale Ruether collected her second shutout of the season and tallied seven saves. Her 42 saves on the season and .808 save percentage are both tied for second in the League.
 
The two South Dakota programs competed in the next match of the night, as South Dakota hosted South Dakota State to a 0-0 draw. In the tight, defensive action, neither team was able to find the back of the net as USD’s goalkeeper Cambell Fischer collected six saves and SDSU’s Mallorie Benhart tallied three. Fischer is tied for second in the League in saves (42) and save percentage (.808).
 
The Dakota schools all switched who they played on Sunday, with North Dakota State hosting South Dakota to a 2-1 victory and South Dakota defeating North Dakota at home, 2-1. The Bison picked up their first League win of the season thanks to a last-minute goal. North Dakota State started the scoring in the 21st minute thanks to a Morgan Russmann goal off a corner kick. South Dakota’s Brooke Conway equalized things in the 53rd minute. After nearly 30 minutes of a 1-1 draw, Chloe Birch hit the back of the net with a header off a corner kick for her second career goal. Goalkeeper Payton Mulberry was also key to the victory, picking up a career-high 11 saves on the match, with 10 coming in the second half.
 
The Jackrabbits rallied in the second half to defeat the Fighting Hawks on Sunday. North Dakota scored first early, as Hunter Borgel found the back of the net off a deep pass from Charlie Basinet. After UND went into the half with a one-score lead, SDSU went on to score two unanswered in the second half. MaKynlie Cade scored the first for South Dakota State in the 56th minute, firing a deep shot that rattled the net to square things up. The Jackrabbits continued to be aggressive in the second half and found themselves with a penalty kick in the 82nd minute. Mia Bosch’s shot was blocked by UND’s goalkeeper Thale Ruether, but Bosch caught the deflection and scored on the rebound.
 
St. Thomas and Omaha battled on Thursday in what was the highest-scoring match on the week, as the Mavericks defeated the Tommies, 3-2. Omaha started the scoring in the 13th minute, putting a penalty kick in the back of the net to take the 1-0 lead and score her first goal of the season. Just 18 seconds later, Kendall Dobberstein added to the lead for her second goal of the season. Right before the half, St. Thomas cut the deficit in the 41st minute and then equalized things in the 72nd minute with a Molly Armstrong goal. In the 83rd minute, Omaha’s Kate Lucas hit the game-winner off a corner kick to give the Mavericks back the lead. This was also her first career Omaha goal.
 
In the final match on Thursday, Oral Roberts and Kansas City battled to a 1-1 in Kansas City. The Roos started the scoring, with Olivia Orosco squeezing in the goal in the 6th minute. The Golden Eagles answered quickly, with Brianna Castleberry scoring a deep goal from the side in the 18th minute to draw things up. Both teams went back and forth the rest of the way, with neither team scoring the rest of the way. 12 combined saves came from the match, with KC’s Anika Patton collecting nine of them.
 
On Sunday, Kansas City kept the trend of last-minute match-winning goals within the Summit League going. The Roos defeated St. Thomas, 1-0, after KC’s Olivia Platt hit the back of the net in the 88th minute for the lone goal of the match. It was also Kansas City’s first road victory on the season. Patton’s two saves in the match brought her League-leading total to 53. Patton’s 5.89 saves per game ranks 26th and her total saves are 27th in all of Division I.
 
Oral Roberts got in the winning column on Sunday, hosting Omaha to a 2-0 victory. Brianna Castleberry scored the two lone goals of the match, with the first coming in the 14th minute and the second coming in the 19th minute off a free kick. Castleberry’s three goals on the week moved her season total to 11, the most in the Summit League and sixth in all of Division I Castleberry’s one goal per game is also tied for sixth in the nation. Her 23 points on the year is also tied for seventh in the nation and her 2.09 points per game is 15th. On Castleberry’s first goal of the day, Cameron Silva picked up her seventh assist on the season, tying her for sixth in the country as well. Silva’s 0.64 assists per game is also tied for 12th in the nation. Goalkeeper Alyson Sebban recorded her fifth shutout of the season, tied for 20th in the country. Her .839 save percentage also leads the Summit League.
 
Home teams were 5-1-2 in the opening week of League play. South Dakota State owns the top home record in the League and has yet to lose at home, going 5-0-1.
 
South Dakota State continues to rank atop the nation in multiple statistical categories. The Jackrabbits are tied for second in Division I in assists per game (4.0), tied for third in total assists (40), eighth in goal differential (22), ninth in total goals (31), fourth in points per game (10.20), tied for fifth in total points (102) and seventh in goals per game (3.10).
 
Only four matches this week, as Oral Roberts hosts St. Thomas Friday night, Kansas City heads to Omaha while South Dakota State travels to North Dakota State on Saturday and the week is capped off with North Dakota hosting South Dakota for some Sunday afternoon action.
 
Oral Roberts is tied for 15th in goal differential in the country (19) and tied for 19th in goals against average (0.545).

All home matches can be found on the Summit League Network.
 
This Week In The Summit League (All Times in Central Time)
Friday, Oct. 2 | TV/Stream | Time    
St. Thomas at Oral Roberts | SLN | 7 p.m.
 
Saturday, Oct. 3 | TV/Stream | Time    
Kansas City at Omaha | SLN | 4 p.m.
South Dakota State at North Dakota State| SLN | 7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 4 | TV/Stream | Time    
South Dakota at North Dakota | SLN | 1 p.m.

All Times Local in Central Time
Key: SLN (Summit League Network)

Around The League
• In the latest United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer West Region rankings, Oral Roberts stays at No. 2 while South Dakota State is at No. 10.
• In the latest NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer RPI rankings, two Summit League programs rank within the top 115. Oral Roberts comes in at No. 80 while South Dakota State is No. 115.
•  The Summit League continues to rank highly among all NCAA Division I conferences, being third in goals allowed (103) and fifth in save percentage (0.770).
• South Dakota State continues to rank atop the nation in multiple statistical categories. The Jackrabbits are tied for second in Division I in assists per game (4.0), tied for third in total assists (40), eighth in goal differential (22), ninth in total goals (31), fourth in points per game (10.20), tied for fifth in total points (102) and seventh in goals per game (3.10).
• Three programs remain unbeaten through the first week of League play, as Oral Roberts, South Dakota State and Kansas City all sit 1-0-1.
• After defeating North Dakota State College of Science the week prior 16-0 and starting League play with a 4-0 win over North Dakota State, the Fighting Hawks won the two games with a combined score of 20-0, the largest margin of victory between two consecutive games in Summit League history.
• In UND’s match against NDSU, Charlie Basinet and Cora Ellermann both had their first braces of the year.
• In the first week of League play, home institutions went 5-1-2. South Dakota State owns the best home record in the League on the year (5-0-1).
• Four matches on the week had game-winning goals in the last 10 minutes of play – Omaha won 3-2 over St. Thomas after a goal in the 83rd minute, North Dakota State defeated South Dakota (2-1) with a goal in the 81st, South Dakota State scored in the 82nd for the 2-1 victory over North Dakota and Kansas City defeated St. Thomas by scoring the lone goal of the match in the 88th minute,
• Oral Roberts’ Brianna Castleberry scored all three goals for the Golden Eagles last week. She scored the first in the 1-1 draw with Kansas City and then touched the back of the net twice in the 2-0 win over Omaha. Her League-leading 11 goals on the year are sixth in all of Division I, her one goal per game is tied for sixth, her 23 points is also tied for seventh in the country and her 2.09 points per game ranks 15th in the country.
• Fellow Golden Eagle Cameron Silva also dished out an assist on one of Castleberry’s goals on Sunday. Her seven assists on the season are tied for sixth in the country as well as her 0.64 assists per game are tied for 12th.
• ORU goalkeeper Alyson Sebban recorded her fifth shutout on the year in the victory over Omaha, which is tied for 20th in the country.
• Anika Patton of Kansas City also had a stellar week protecting the net. She recorded nine saves in the 1-0 victory over St. Thomas and has 53 on the year to lead the League. Her 5.89 saves per game ranks 26th in Division I and her total saves are 27th.
• Kansas City defeated St. Thomas on a last-second, game-winning goal in the 88th minute. Roos’ Olivia Platt hit the back of the net for the lone goal of the match off of a corner kick to pick up the road win for KC.
• St. Thomas and Omaha battled on Thursday in what was the highest-scoring match on the week, as the Mavericks defeated the Tommies, 3-2. Omaha started the scoring in the 13th minute, putting a penalty kick in the back of the net to take the 1-0 lead and score her first goal of the season. Just 18 seconds later, Kendall Dobberstein added to the lead for her second goal of the season. Right before the half, St. Thomas cut the deficit in the 41st minute and then equalized things in the 72nd minute with a Molly Armstrong goal. In the 83rd minute, Omaha’s Kate Lucas hit the game-winner off a corner kick to give the Mavericks back the lead. This was also her first career Omaha goal.
• Four Summit League women’s soccer matchups this week. St. Thomas heads to Oral Roberts on Friday night, Omaha hosts Kansas City and North Dakota State hosts South Dakota State on Saturday and Sunday features a matchup between South Dakota and North Dakota in Grand Forks.  
 
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