SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana Women's Soccer team secured the sixth seed for the NSIC Conference playoffs. They will face the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on Monday, November 2, in Duluth, Minnesota.
Season Recap
The Vikings went 10-3-5 overall and 8-3-4 in the NSIC.
Madelyn White led the Vikings in points this season with 21, scoring seven goals on 56 shot attempts, 27 on goal, with seven assists and a shot-on-goal percentage of 48.2. White totaled 1,262 minutes on the pitch for the Vikings.
Avery Heinz led the team, along with White, in goals scored with seven. Heinz added three assists to record 17 points on the season. With 15 shots on goal, Heinz recorded a 51.7 percent. In her game against Southwest Minnesota State, Heinz recorded her first hat trick, helping the Vikings win 7-0.
Along with White and Heinz,
Laina Souerdyke had four goals,
Grace Katter secured three, and
Addison Burt,
Ava Hurt, and
Delaney Awe all scored two apiece. Seven other Vikings recorded a goal throughout the season.
Defensively for the Vikings, Augustana held their opponents to a total of 17 goals, 144 shots, and 42 corners. The defense kept opponents to only eight shots per game on average and 0.94 goals scored per game by opponents.
Coach Barkus stated this about the season the Vikings have had so far, "I thought the regular season really taught us who we were, what our strengths are, and what we needed to get better at. I really believe things have been coming together really well going into this postseason. I am extremely excited to showcase what we've become and who we really are!"
Monday's Matchup
Augustana will once again travel north to Duluth, Minnesota, for their quarterfinal matchup against the Bulldogs. The Vikings played Minnesota Duluth back on September 18, 2026, which resulted in a tie. Reese Gieger was the lone goal scorer for the Vikings, with an assist from
Paige Bracker. Nore Hevig scored the Bulldogs' goal that was assisted by Lauren McGough and Marissa VanDeHei. Both teams found 12 shots, with UMD saving eight and Augustana six.
Minnesota Duluth went 11-5-2 overall in the season with a 10-4-1 NSIC record. For the Bulldogs, McGough leads with eight goals and two assists, totaling 18 points. Behind her is Hevig with six goals and three assists for 15 points. The Bulldogs' defense held its opponents to 0.72 goals scored per game, allowing only 7.8 shots per game.
In light of the matchup against the Bulldogs, Coach Barkus states his excitement, saying, "We are super excited to hit the road and take on a very talented and tough University of Minnesota-Duluth team. It's going to be a big challenge, but as I mentioned, we are extremely excited to get after it on Monday!"
Up Next
With a win from Augustana, the NSIC Semifinals would take place on November 6. The higher-seeded team will determine the location.
