Mastodons Prepare for Summit Tournament Battle

BROOKINGS, S.D. - The IPFW women's soccer team is preparing for its first-ever game in the Summit League Tournament, where the No. 2 seeded Mastodons will face off against the North Dakota State Bison in the second of two games, starting at 7 p.m.

Opponent: North Dakota State Bison (8-9)
When: Friday, November 2 | 7 p.m. EST
Where: Brookings, S.D. | Fishback Soccer Park
Series: North Dakota State leads 5-3-1
Live Stats: South Dakota State Live Stats

POSTSEASON TOURNAMENTS
While this is IPFW's first appearance in the Summit League Tournament, it is not the Mastodons' first appearance in any soccer conference tournament.

In the two years prior to joining the Summit League, IPFW was a member of the United Soccer Conference, and were 2-1-1 in the USC Tournament, each year advancing to the title match.

In 2005, IPFW hosted the postseason tournament, in which IPFW beat Longwood 1-0 and Utah Valley 2-1 to claim the USC Title.

A year later in Washington, D.C., the Mastodons played to a 1-1 draw against Longwood before advancing to the title match on penalty kicks, as the team faced off against North Dakota State in the Championship, falling in the title game 1-0.

SCOUTING THE MASTODONS
The Mastodons have been on a hot streak in the month of October, closing the calendar month with a 5-1-1 record, clinching the second seed into the Summit League Tournament. Overall the 'Dons clinched just their second winning season in program history, standing with a 9-7-1 record heading into the conference tournament.

Leading the way for the squad has been Danielle Bishop, who leads the team with six goals, and has scored the team's last three goals this season, while also leading the team with four game-winning goals. Arianne Mason has four goals, while Sydney Hoareau and Erin Gill each have scored three times.

Tylar Allison, who owns both the single season and career assist records at IPFW, leads the team with four helpers, while three others - Hoareau, Rachel Good, and Tessa Edwards - each have two assists.

Freshman goalkeeper Sam Pavlika has been in goal for the entire season for the Mastodons, all 1574-plus minutes, and has a 1.03 goals against average with 69 saves and four shutouts, saving 79 percent of the 205 shots she has faced this season.

SCOUTING THE BISON
North Dakota State climbed into the third seed after closing the regular season tied with Western Illinois, and topped the Leathernecks 2-1 in Fargo earlier in the season. The 1-0 loss at IPFW was the last time that the Bison have been shut out, and was one of just three times during the season that NDSU did not score in the game.

This year Anisha Kinnarath leads the team with five goals and seven assists for 17 total points. Jordyn Wallenborn has four goals, while Steph Jacobson and Lizzie Lukas each have three goals. Overall this season, the Bison, who have an 8-9 record, have been out-scored 26-to-24.

Outside of Kinnarath, only Mary Krambeer has more than one assist, with eight other players - including goalkeeper Sierra Bonham - dishing out one assist.

In goal, Bonham has been between the pipes for all but 153 minutes this season, and has a 1.31 goals against average with 102 saves and a trio of shutouts.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Despite IPFW winning two of the last three meetings all-time between the squads, the North Dakota State Bison still hold a 5-3-1 all-time lead in the series.

The Mastodons won the first meeting between the teams in 2004 by a 2-1 score in Fort Wayne, before the Bison took both of the meetings in 2006, each by 1-0 scores. In 2007 NDSU toppled the 'Dons 3-0 in Fargo, as the teams played to a 1-1 draw a year later in Fort Wayne.

2009 (3-2) and 2011 (3-0) saw NDSU wins, while the Mastodons picked up a 3-0 win in 2010 and a 1-0 win earlier this season.

EARLIER THIS SEASON
A first-half goal from Egle provided all the offense that IPFW would need, as the squad picked up its third shutout of the season, evening its record to 6-6 with a 1-0 win over the North Dakota State Bison on Sunday afternoon.

Egle was in the right place at the right time, as Maya Reyes got a shot off from behind the NDSU goalkeeper, but was kept out of the goal by Bison defender Tristyn Walczak; however, the ball found its way to the feet of Egle, who put the sphere into the back of the net for her first goal of the season 31:18 into the game.

The Mastodons out-shot NDSU 14-12; and North Dakota State's Wallenborn nearly evened the score with 19 seconds left when her shot at the goal missed just wide, keeping the shutout alive for IPFW in the win.

For her effort, IPFW freshman goalkeeper Pavlika picked up her third shutout of the season, now tied for the second-highest single-season total in school history, trailing only the four put up by Shannon Lynn in the 2006 season.

North Dakota State led in saves 6-5, while the Mastodons had a dominating lead in corner kicks with 11, breaking the single-match school record in the category. Caroline Castelli had a team-high four shots for the Mastodons, while Edwards had three, and Rhea Proctor two.

~ Feel the Rumble ~

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics

Mastodons Prepare for Summit Tournament Battle

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