This week: The Notre Dame College women's soccer team is set to hit the road on Wednesday Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. for a matchup against Fairmont State. NDC will then return home on Sunday Oct. 31 at noon for senior day in a battle against Glenville State.
 
Records: Notre Dame enters the week at 4-6-3, 4-5-3 MEC and in fourth place in the MEC North Division with 15 points. Fairmont State begins the week at 5-6-2, 5-5-2 MEC and in third place in the MEC North Division with 17 points. Glenville State is currently 2-12, 1-11 MEC and in the sixth and final spot in the MEC South Division with three points. It is noteworthy that FSU and NDC are third and fourth in the North Division, since the top three teams from each division receive invites into the MEC Tournament, which begins on Nov. 9.
 
Coaches Corner: Mike Shiels is in his 19^th season at the helm of the NDC women's soccer program. Shiels has a career 185-115-29 record with NDC, including three MEC tournament championships and four MEC Coach of the Year honors. Kernell Boreno is currently at the helm of Fairmont State with a career record of 5-6-2 in his first season. JR Dodson is the head coach of Glenville State.
 
Rankings: None of these teams are ranked in the in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
 
Series History: NDC has a 7-2-4 all-time record against FSU dating back to 2015 and including Notre Dame's 3-1 victory against FSU back on Sept. 19. NDC is currently 2-0 all-time against Glenville State since 2018.
 
Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame is coming off a week in which they split their two contests against West Virginia State and Frostburg State. On Wednesday, the Falcons traveled to WVSU and lost 4-2. However, it was a promising game for the NDC offense as they scored their first goal in three matches. Louisa Follert (56') and Sammy Salatino (78') were the two Falcons to find the back of the net on that evening. NDC saw ten shots and five on goal compared to WVSU 16 shots and six on goal. On Sunday, NDC snapped a four-match losing streak by defeating the top team in the MEC North Division, Frostburg State, 1-0. In just the 4^th minute of play, Follert scored once again to notch her team leading seventh goal of the season, in what would be the eventual game winning goal of the match. Notre Dame managed another ten shots and five on goal, compared to FSU's ten shots and three on goal.
 
All season long it has been the aforementioned duo of Follert and Salatino in the attacking third for Notre Dame that have been the catalysts to the team's success. The two forwards rank one and two on the team in goals scored, shots, shots on goal and points scored. Moreover, in stacking up against the Mountain East Conference, Follert ranks tied for 4^th in goals scored (7), tied for 3^rd in game winning goals (3), 4^th in points per game (1.63), 8^th in total points scored (13), 7^th in shots per game (3.0) and 10^th in total shots taken (24). In addition, Salatino ranks tied for 11^th in goals scored (5), 8^th in shots per games (2.92) and 9^th in total shots taken (35).
 
In total for the season, NDC has taken 125 shots and registered 62 on goal to total 13 goals scored. The Falcons have also generated seven assists, 61 saves and 35 corner kicks.
 
Noting the Fighting Falcons: Fairmont State is entering this week on a hot five-match unbeaten streak (3-0-2) after winning both of their road contests last week. On Wednesday, FSU defeated Wheeling 2-1 in overtime after goals in the 4^th and 100^th minutes by Kiera Kuzinski and Ari Christiansen. This was a match in which the Fighting Falcons dominated with 23 shots and 14 on goal, compared to Wheeling's nine shots and five on goal. On Sunday, FSU downed Alderson Broaddus 2-0 with goals from Kuzinski and Mackenzie Gillispie in the 16^th and 80^th minutes. This was another match that Fairmont State dominated by totaling 20 shots with ten on target, compared to AB's three shots and one on target.
 
Kuzinski is a player to watch out for on the Fighting Falcons as she leads the team and is tied for 3^rd in the MEC in goals scored with seven. Moreover, amongst the MEC Kuzinski ranks 3^rd in shots taken (56), tied for 5^th in shots on goal (27), tied for 3^rd in game winning goals (3) and tied for 4^th in points scored (15).
 
In total for the season, FSU has taken 168 shots and put 97 on goal to total 20 goals scored. The Fighting Falcons have also tallied seven assists, 60 saves, and 44 corner kicks.
 
Noting the Pioneers: Glenville State enters the week after a positive last ten days for the program which scored its first goal during MEC play on Oct. 17 in a loss to D&E, which was followed up by GSU's first win within the MEC on this past Saturday Oct. 23 against Wheeling. In addition, GSU went 1-1 this week when they started with a 2-0 loss to West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday. WVWC outshot the Pioneers 13 (8) to 7 (2). On Saturday and as aforementioned, Glenville State picked their first 2021 MEC win with a 2-1 win in Wheeling, WV. The Pioneers began the game red hot with two goals before the eight-minute mark from Merel Smets and Heidi Hunter. WU would respond in the 77^th but it wouldn't be enough to take out GSU. The Pioneers totaled 14 shots and ten on target to compare to the Cardinals 18 shots and nine on target.
 
In total for the season, Glenville State has put up 60 shots and registered 30 on target, to the tune of six goals scored. The Pioneers have also totaled four assists, 93 saves and 11 corner kicks.