University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, October 10
Denver, Colo. / University of Denver Soccer Stadium
TBA
at
Denver
Women’s Soccer goes on the road for two tough tests
10/9/2024 11:33:00 AM | Women's Soccer
The Tommies play Denver and Omaha this week as Summit League play continues
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Tommies (4-6-2 overall, 0-2-1 Summit League) are looking for their first Summit League victory of 2024 but will be faced with a tough task this week against the Denver Pioneers (7-5-1 overall, 1-1-1 Summit League) and Omaha Mavericks (7-2-3 overall, 1-1-1 Summit League) on the road. Coach Sheila McGill's side have been stout defensively through three games of conference play but have yet to score a goal.
The Toms have lost two consecutive games after earning their only conference point in a scoreless tie against South Dakota on Sept. 26. They fell to now-first-place Oral Roberts, 1-0 and then to then-first-place South Dakota State, 1-0 while in St. Paul over the past two weeks. The Purple are averaging 0.0 goals per game but are allowing just 0.66 goals per game during conference play. Denver comes into their matchup with the Toms scoring 1.7 goals per game and allowing 1.7 goals per game while Omaha is scoring 1.0 per game and allowing 1.7 per game.
The Toms have been riding the roller coaster that is this 2024 season. They are currently 0-3-1 in their last four games while being outscored 7-0 without a goal in 432 minutes of play since Camryn Rintoul scored against Western Illinois on September 13. That 2-0 win against the Leathernecks capped a 4-1 record in five games where the Tommies outscored their opponents 13-4.
Denver is the highest rated Summit League team in the RPI ranking at 100 but is just 1-2-1 in their last four games after a 6-1-0 stretch from August 21 when they beat then-#24 ranked Texas A&M to September 12 when they beat Colorado State. The Pioneers have played the toughest strength of schedule in the conference with games against four nationally ranked opponents. They have shared the wealth offensively with three players (Megan Murray, Ella Frost, Liv Moritz) at the top of the scoresheet, each with four goals. Time in goal has also been split between Alina Santos and Molly Wissman who have combined for a 1.23 GAA and .754 SV% with 49 total saves.
The Pioneers have won each of their three games against the Tommies by a combined score of 8-3. Their last matchup in Denver was in 2022 and resulted in a 4-1 Pioneer win. The only current Tommie with a career goal against Denver is Lexi Huber, who scored a goal in 2021 in a 2-1 Denver win at South Field.
Omaha does not have the same caliber strength of schedule as the Pioneers, but the Mavericks have won seven games in 2024 and are 114 in the latest RPI ranking. They too, have gone 1-2-1 in their previous four games before matching up with North Dakota on October 10. The Mavs played two common non-conference opponents with the Purple and beat them both (Drake, 2-0 and Northern Iowa 2-1). The Tommies went 0-1-1 against the Bulldogs and Panthers. Redshirt junior, Alyssa Kellar, leads Omaha with five goals including one last time out against South Dakota. Mia Reedtz Rehde Olesen has made nine starts but Maja Baun leads the way with 585 minutes in 10 games played between the posts. The two have combined for a 0.75 GAA and .833 SV%.
The Mavericks have won all three games against the Tommies since St. Thomas joined the Summit League by a combined score of 7-1. They took down the Purple, 4-0 in St. Paul last season and won 2-1 back in 2022 the last time the two sides played in Omaha. Mariah Nguyen is the only Tommie in program history to score a goal against the defensive-minded Mavericks.
Where to Watch
The Tommies' game against the Denver Pioneers can be viewed with a subscription to Midco Sports Plus. Click HERE to watch.
Fans can also follow along via the live stats HERE.
The Tommies' game against the Omaha Mavericks can be viewed with a subscription to Midco Sports Plus. Click HERE to watch.
Fans can also follow along via the live stats HERE.
All St. Thomas Women's Soccer home games and away Summit League contests can be viewed on the Summit League Network with a Midco Sports Plus subscription.
Live stats for all St. Thomas home games can be viewed on Tommiesports.com with links available on the Tommie Women's Soccer team's schedule page.
Ellis in goal
Senior, Kendell Ellis, made her first start of the season and first start since in nearly two years against the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles. The Billings, Mont. Native stopped six of the seven shots she faced in a losing effort. She followed up that performance with a valiant effort against a talented South Dakota State side with four saves and one goal allowed.
First half scoring
The Tommies have been scoring early and often during the 2024 season and it has led to a strong run of non-conference results with little to show through two conference games. 12 of the Purple's 16 goals have come before the halftime whistle. They have allowed 20 goals this year, only seven of those were given up in the first half.
When scoring first this season, the Purple are 4-0-1. They are 0-6-0 when conceding the game's first goal.
As previously mentioned, the Tommies scored just 17 goals in 15 games last season and were led by Mariah Nguyen who scored five while starting in every game. Lexi Huber has scored five goals with 12 games down and five to play.
Five goals in one season is currently the St. Thomas Division I program record set by Nguyen in 2021, matched by Nguyen in 2022, and now matched by Huber in 2024.
The Tommies have scored 68 goals since making the move to Division I in 2021. Of those 68 goals, Mariah Nguyen (10) and Lexi Huber (12) have scored nearly 1/3 of them (32.3%).
Tommies' Summit League ranks
March to the Summit
The Tommies were picked to finish eighth out of the nine teams in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll after their 1-5-2 conference record in 2023.
Last season's regular season conference champion Denver Pioneers were voted to the top of the poll edging out challenger South Dakota State by two points (61-59). The Purple finished with 15 votes, placing them between North Dakota State (24) and North Dakota (14).
Both Mariah Nguyen and Olivia Rowe were named Players to Watch by the conference office.
Nguyen led the Purple in goals (five), points (12), and shots on goal (13) last season while Olivia Rowe started every game between the posts in 2023 and earned five shutouts.
Nice to meet you
The Tommies head into the 2024 season with eight newcomers
Getting to Work
The Tommie Women's Soccer coaching staff welcomed a new face into the fold during the offseason with the addition of Jean Viardin.
Viardin holds a US Soccer Senior A license and has over 20 years of coaching experience at youth clubs, high school teams, the WPSL, and the UPSL.
Coach McGill said of Viardin, "We are incredibly excited to welcome Jean to our team! He brings his experience and knowledge to the program and will make an immediate impact in our games and training. He has a positive yet straightforward mindset and will help our players to develop and succeed both individually and as a whole."
Viardin also served as the General Manager for the National Women's Soccer League's FC Kansas City from 2016-2018. His most recent experience came as the Executive Director & Director of Coaching/Player Development at Maplebrook SC, where he has been since 2011.
Home Gameday Need to Know
Follow Along
For any and all information pertaining to the St. Thomas Women's Soccer team, follow along on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) at @TommieWSoccer.
The Toms have lost two consecutive games after earning their only conference point in a scoreless tie against South Dakota on Sept. 26. They fell to now-first-place Oral Roberts, 1-0 and then to then-first-place South Dakota State, 1-0 while in St. Paul over the past two weeks. The Purple are averaging 0.0 goals per game but are allowing just 0.66 goals per game during conference play. Denver comes into their matchup with the Toms scoring 1.7 goals per game and allowing 1.7 goals per game while Omaha is scoring 1.0 per game and allowing 1.7 per game.
The Toms have been riding the roller coaster that is this 2024 season. They are currently 0-3-1 in their last four games while being outscored 7-0 without a goal in 432 minutes of play since Camryn Rintoul scored against Western Illinois on September 13. That 2-0 win against the Leathernecks capped a 4-1 record in five games where the Tommies outscored their opponents 13-4.
Denver is the highest rated Summit League team in the RPI ranking at 100 but is just 1-2-1 in their last four games after a 6-1-0 stretch from August 21 when they beat then-#24 ranked Texas A&M to September 12 when they beat Colorado State. The Pioneers have played the toughest strength of schedule in the conference with games against four nationally ranked opponents. They have shared the wealth offensively with three players (Megan Murray, Ella Frost, Liv Moritz) at the top of the scoresheet, each with four goals. Time in goal has also been split between Alina Santos and Molly Wissman who have combined for a 1.23 GAA and .754 SV% with 49 total saves.
The Pioneers have won each of their three games against the Tommies by a combined score of 8-3. Their last matchup in Denver was in 2022 and resulted in a 4-1 Pioneer win. The only current Tommie with a career goal against Denver is Lexi Huber, who scored a goal in 2021 in a 2-1 Denver win at South Field.
Omaha does not have the same caliber strength of schedule as the Pioneers, but the Mavericks have won seven games in 2024 and are 114 in the latest RPI ranking. They too, have gone 1-2-1 in their previous four games before matching up with North Dakota on October 10. The Mavs played two common non-conference opponents with the Purple and beat them both (Drake, 2-0 and Northern Iowa 2-1). The Tommies went 0-1-1 against the Bulldogs and Panthers. Redshirt junior, Alyssa Kellar, leads Omaha with five goals including one last time out against South Dakota. Mia Reedtz Rehde Olesen has made nine starts but Maja Baun leads the way with 585 minutes in 10 games played between the posts. The two have combined for a 0.75 GAA and .833 SV%.
The Mavericks have won all three games against the Tommies since St. Thomas joined the Summit League by a combined score of 7-1. They took down the Purple, 4-0 in St. Paul last season and won 2-1 back in 2022 the last time the two sides played in Omaha. Mariah Nguyen is the only Tommie in program history to score a goal against the defensive-minded Mavericks.
Where to Watch
The Tommies' game against the Denver Pioneers can be viewed with a subscription to Midco Sports Plus. Click HERE to watch.
Fans can also follow along via the live stats HERE.
The Tommies' game against the Omaha Mavericks can be viewed with a subscription to Midco Sports Plus. Click HERE to watch.
Fans can also follow along via the live stats HERE.
All St. Thomas Women's Soccer home games and away Summit League contests can be viewed on the Summit League Network with a Midco Sports Plus subscription.
Live stats for all St. Thomas home games can be viewed on Tommiesports.com with links available on the Tommie Women's Soccer team's schedule page.
Ellis in goal
Senior, Kendell Ellis, made her first start of the season and first start since in nearly two years against the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles. The Billings, Mont. Native stopped six of the seven shots she faced in a losing effort. She followed up that performance with a valiant effort against a talented South Dakota State side with four saves and one goal allowed.
First half scoring
The Tommies have been scoring early and often during the 2024 season and it has led to a strong run of non-conference results with little to show through two conference games. 12 of the Purple's 16 goals have come before the halftime whistle. They have allowed 20 goals this year, only seven of those were given up in the first half.
When scoring first this season, the Purple are 4-0-1. They are 0-6-0 when conceding the game's first goal.
As previously mentioned, the Tommies scored just 17 goals in 15 games last season and were led by Mariah Nguyen who scored five while starting in every game. Lexi Huber has scored five goals with 12 games down and five to play.
Five goals in one season is currently the St. Thomas Division I program record set by Nguyen in 2021, matched by Nguyen in 2022, and now matched by Huber in 2024.
The Tommies have scored 68 goals since making the move to Division I in 2021. Of those 68 goals, Mariah Nguyen (10) and Lexi Huber (12) have scored nearly 1/3 of them (32.3%).
Tommies' Summit League ranks
- Lexi Huber – T-2nd in goals – 5
- Lexi Huber – T-1st in game-winning goals - 3
- Lexi Huber – T-4th in points – 11
March to the Summit
The Tommies were picked to finish eighth out of the nine teams in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll after their 1-5-2 conference record in 2023.
Last season's regular season conference champion Denver Pioneers were voted to the top of the poll edging out challenger South Dakota State by two points (61-59). The Purple finished with 15 votes, placing them between North Dakota State (24) and North Dakota (14).
Both Mariah Nguyen and Olivia Rowe were named Players to Watch by the conference office.
Nguyen led the Purple in goals (five), points (12), and shots on goal (13) last season while Olivia Rowe started every game between the posts in 2023 and earned five shutouts.
Nice to meet you
The Tommies head into the 2024 season with eight newcomers
- #3 – Melina Knowles – Freshman – Plymouth, Wis.
- #4 – Kayden Scrima – Freshman – Waukesha, Wis.
- #6 – Juliet Carlson – Freshman – Minnetonka, Minn.
- #14 – Alexandra Amini – Freshman – Pewaukee, Wis.
- #19 – Brooke Nygaard – Freshman – Eagan, Minn.
- #20 – Sophia Barjesteh – Junior – Woodbury, Minn.
- #27 – Annie Mulcahy – Freshman – Saint Paul, Minn.
- #29 – Izzy McEwan – Freshman – Minneapolis, Minn.
Getting to Work
The Tommie Women's Soccer coaching staff welcomed a new face into the fold during the offseason with the addition of Jean Viardin.
Viardin holds a US Soccer Senior A license and has over 20 years of coaching experience at youth clubs, high school teams, the WPSL, and the UPSL.
Coach McGill said of Viardin, "We are incredibly excited to welcome Jean to our team! He brings his experience and knowledge to the program and will make an immediate impact in our games and training. He has a positive yet straightforward mindset and will help our players to develop and succeed both individually and as a whole."
Viardin also served as the General Manager for the National Women's Soccer League's FC Kansas City from 2016-2018. His most recent experience came as the Executive Director & Director of Coaching/Player Development at Maplebrook SC, where he has been since 2011.
Home Gameday Need to Know
- Admission to Tommie Women's Soccer is free all season long.
- Visitor parking is available in the Anderson Parking Facility on South Campus.
- When navigating to the stadium from the Anderson Parking Facility please follow the posted signs directing you to the entrance.
- There will be no concessions available for the 2024 season.
Follow Along
For any and all information pertaining to the St. Thomas Women's Soccer team, follow along on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) at @TommieWSoccer.
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/ Women's SoccerWomen's Soccer
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