Gophers Aiming to Stay Unbeaten in Final Week of Non-Conference Play

MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota (3-0-2) will have a split final weekend of the non-conference season with a road test against Omaha (3-2-0, 0-0-0 Summit) on Thur., Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. followed by a home match scheduled against North Dakota on Sept. 12, at 1 p.m. Both matches will be streamed with the Omaha contest able to be seen on OMavs.com and the North Dakota match on BTN+.

LAST TIME OUT - WYOMING
The University of Minnesota continued its undefeated start with a 4-0 win over Wyoming (3-1-1, 0-0-0) at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium on Sept. 5. Junior forward Izzy Brown scored the game-winning goal on her way to a brace while Khyah Harper and Sophia Boman added insurance goals for the Gophers.

"[Going into this match] we talked about attacking assertively as a group," head coach Erin Chastain said. "To get a goal within the first minute today was big. Then to not shut off, sometimes you get that early goal you can let down a little bit but I thought we raised our level even more. We continued to create chances and finish those chances. We are certainly happy with the performance and happy with the shutout and really happy that so many young women were able to go in and contribute."

QUICK NOTES VS. OMAHA AND NORTH DAKOTA
- Minnesota's matchups with Omaha and North Dakota are both the second time the Gophers have taken on the two programs with Minnesota claiming victories over Omaha by a score of 9-1 and North Dakota by a score of 3-0
- North Dakota's roster is comprised of 10 student-athletes that hail from the state of Minnesota while Omaha's roster has just one student-athlete who hails from the Land of 10,000 Lakes
- The 2021 season for Minnesota will be the first under the new leadership of Erin Chastain who returned to her alma mater after serving as the head coach at DePaul for the past 14 seasons
- The University of Minnesota coaching staff is comprised of four women, making them one of just four staffs across the Power 5 conferences to have an all-female staff

PLASCHKO NAMED BIG TEN GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
Megan Plaschko was named the Big Ten Co-Goalkeeper of the Week for her performances against Mississippi State and Wyoming this past weekend, as announced by the conference office on Sept. 7.

The honor is the first weekly honor any Gopher soccer student-athlete has earned this season. For Plaschko it is the second time in her career she has earned the weekly nod after earning the program's first Goalkeeper of the Week award last season. Plaschko was perfect for the Gophers last week, securing a pair of shutouts to help the team remain undefeated at 3-0-2 this season. Plaschko made a career-high nine saves in the scoreless draw against Mississippi State. The nine-save performance was the most saves a Gopher had made in a match since current volunteer goalkeeper coach Tarah Nupson (formally Hobbs) made 16 saves against Iowa in a 2-2 draw in 2013. Plaschko followed that up with another perfect performance against Wyoming, playing 65 minutes before stepping off in the 4-0 victory.

THE GREAT GOPHER DEFENSE
With another pair of shutouts last weekend the Gophers extended their season-opening shutout streak to five, marking just the second program in Big Ten history that a team posted five-straight shutouts to start any season (Rutgers - 2015, 2017). The Wisconsin Badgers achieved this feat prior to the Big Ten began sponsoring women's soccer and Maryland pulled the streak off prior to joining the Big Ten.

SCOUTING OMAHA
Minnesota's Summit League weekend is kicked off with a road test against the University of Nebraska - Omaha (3-2-0, 0-0-0). The Mavericks are coming off back-to-back victories, including a 1-0 win over a Big Ten foe in Nebraska. Omaha shares a pair of common opponents with the Gophers, pulling off a 1-0 exhibition win over Drake while falling by a score of 4-0 to Wyoming on Aug. 26. Emile Erland and Sophia Green are the only two Omaha student-athletes to score this season, both scoring game-winning goals for Omaha in their 1-0 victories. Mia Rehde Olesen has started in four matches for the Mavericks, including each of their two victories this season. The sophomore has made 12 saves in her four appearances including six in her shutout against Nebraska.

The matchup is the second time the two programs have met with the only previous meeting coming in 2015 when the Gophers defeated the Mavericks 9-1 in Minneapolis. Overall Omaha brings in the eighth-best squad in the nation in regards to shot accuracy this season with a 0.633 mark. They also can be a physical team, bringing in the 25th-most fouls per game in the nation this year at a 5.80 mark.

SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota will be fresh on Sept. 12 when the Fighting Hawks roll into town to take on the Gophers at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. North Dakota (2-2-0, 0-0-0) is coming off a 3-0 win against Northern State on Sept. 7 with the meeting against Minnesota being their first contest against a Power 5 opponent this season. Bailey McNitt and Mara Yapello are the leading scorers for North Dakota so far this season with two goals each while Hannah Olson and Lauren Glas own the two game-winning goals for the Fighting Hawks. In goal it has been Madi Livingston who has started all four matches making 14 saves while allowing three goals in her time in net.

Sunday's meeting will be the second time the Gophers and Fighting Hawks have faced off on the pitch with the only other meeting coming in 2016 when Minnesota blanked North Dakota 3-0 in Minneapolis. As a team North Dakota is ranked modest in most categories nationally, but rank best in their shots on goal per match in which they rank 42nd in the nation with a value of 8.50.

PLASCHKO POWER
Plaschko's Big Ten Co-Goalkeeper of the Week nod may not have been enough recognition with the record breaking start the junior captain is off to. Plaschko now has double digit shutouts in her career with 10, doubling her career total already this season. She is the only Big Ten goalkeeper to have zero goals allowed and is anchoring the Gophers back line that is one of just five programs in the country, and one of three among the Power 5 conferences that have yet to concede a goal this season joining Wake Forest and Tennessee.

A RECORD-BREAKING START TO THE CHASTAIN ERA
The dawn of the Chastain era has been one for the record books in 2021. Erin Chastain, who returned home to Minnesota to lead the Gophers after 14 seasons at DePaul, has kicked off her opening season with a undefeated 3-0-2 start, marking just the four women's soccer coach in Big Ten history, and first Minnesota soccer coach, to start her first year undefeated in her first five matches.

UP NEXT
With the non-conference in the rear-view mirror the Gophers will kick off their Big Ten slate with rival Wisconsin at home with a 6 p.m. start time. Last season Minnesota and Wisconsin finished in a 1-1 tie in the annual border battle. The match will be streamed on BTN+ with the Gophers hosting their 'Rock the Robbie' event where tickets will be just $1.

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Players Mentioned

Sophia Boman

Izzy Brown

Khyah Harper

Megan Plaschko