SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Augustana soccer team (10-2-4, 9-1-3 NSIC) concludes the 2017 regular season with a NSIC home and an away match this weekend.

Augustana plays its final regular season home match against crosstown rival Sioux Falls (5-8-3, 4-6-3 NSIC) at Morstad Field on Friday, Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. The Vikings regular season finale will be in Marshall, Minn. on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. as they take on SMSU (1-14-0, 1-12-0 NSIC).

Scouting Sioux Falls
The Cougars are 10th in the NSIC standings and need to win out and get some help in order to make the NSIC tournament. Last season, Sioux Falls went 3-12-3 (3-10-2 NSIC) and finished 14th in the NSIC.

Augustana has never lost to Sioux Falls, tallying a record of 7-0 all-time against the Cougars and outscoring them 18-1. Last season, Augustana defeated Sioux Falls, 1-0, in overtime at the USF Soccer Field on Oct. 30, 2016.

Scouting SMSU
The Mustangs picked up their first win of the season last weekend against Minnesota Crookston and sit in 15th in the NSIC. The Mustangs will take on Wayne State on Oct. 27 before taking on the Vikings. Last season, the Mustangs went 6-11-1 (5-9-1 NSIC) and finished 12th in the NSIC

Augustana leads the all-time series against SMSU 14-4-1 and has won 14 of the last 15 meetings. Augustana scored a season-high five goals against SMSU last season in a 5-1 win on Oct. 28, 2016.

Region Rankings
In the second Central Region Rankings the Vikings fell from No. 4 to No. 6. Central Missouri (16-0-0) and Bemidji State (13-0-2) remained at 1-2. Missouri Western (14-2-0) moved up to No. 3, Minnesota State (13-2-1) dropped to No. 4 and Northeastern State (13-2-0) jumped up to No. 5. Oklahoma Baptist (11-1-2), the lone GAC team in the rankings, and Fort Hays State (8-5-3) round out the rankings at 7-8.

The top six teams in the region will advance to the NCAA region tournament on Nov. 10 & 12 and 17 & 19. Automatic bids are granted to the winners of the MIAA, GAC and NSIC postseason tournaments, with the remaining three spots awarded on an at-large basis.

NSIC Standings
Augustana currently sits in a tie for third in the NSIC standings with Minot State (11-4-1, 10-3 NSIC) with 30 points, while Bemidji State (13-0-2, NSIC 11-0-2) is No. 1 in the standings and Minnesota State (13-2-1, 11-1-1 NSIC) in No. 2. Augustana owns the tiebreaker over Minot State based on a head-to-head win over the Beavers this season.

The NSIC tournament consists of the top-eight teams in the conference and the top-four teams will host the opening round matches on Nov. 1. The top team remaining will host the semifinals and the finals on Nov. 3 and Nov. 5.

With two matches remaining on the NSIC Schedule here's how the standings shake out: No. 1 Bemidji State (35 pts.), No. 2 Minnesota State (34), No. 3 Augustana (30), No. 4 Minot State (30), No. 5 Winona State (25), No. 6 U-Mary (23), No. 7 Concordia-St. Paul (22), No. 8 Minnesota Duluth (20), No. 9 St. Cloud State (19) and No. 10 Sioux Falls (15).
 
Quick Kicks

• The Vikings have five consecutive 10-win seasons and have seven in the program's 18-year history
• The Vikings are 0-2-2 against ranked opponents on the year
• Senior goalkeeper Taylor Machacek leads the NSIC in shutouts (11) and is eighth in saves (68)
• Augustana leads the NSIC in corner kicks (115), is second in shots (292), in shots on goal (138), tied for second in shutouts (11) and is fourth in goals allowed (12)
• Augustana has tied the school record for most shutouts in a season. The Vikings also had 11 shutouts in 2015
• The Vikings have not lost in overtime in their last 17 overtime matches (8-0-9)
• Augustana has played five overtime matches this season (1-0-4) and its four are the second most in school history. The most ties is five set in 2009
• Junior defender Rebekah Thoresen was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 23, her second honor of the season (Sept. 25)
• Augustana is tied for second in the NSIC with four Players of the Week this season. Minnesota State leads with five and Bemidji State also has four
• In the last five seasons (2013-17) Augustana holds a 35-6-2 record at Morstad Field, including a 5-1-2 mark this season
• The Vikings are 48-19-7 all-time at Morstad Field