This week: The Notre Dame College women's soccer team will host Concord University on Wednesday Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. for their final home contest of 2021. The Falcons will then travel to Philippi, W.Va. to face Alderson Broaddus University on Sunday Nov. 7 at 3 p.m.
 
Records: NDC enters the week at 5-7-3, 5-6-3 MEC and tied for third place with West Liberty in the MEC North Division with 18 points. CU will begin the week 13-0-3, 11-0-3 MEC and in first place in the MEC South Division with 36 points. AB is currently 1-13-1, 0-13-1 MEC and in the sixth and final spot in the MEC North Division with one total point.
 
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. Luke Duffy is in his sixth season leading the Concord women's soccer program with a career record of 65-26-13. Jaron Hulme is the head coach of Alderson Broaddus since 2018 after serving as the assistant coach the previous two seasons.
 
Rankings: Concord University is currently seated #12 in Division II according to the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
 
Series History: Notre Dame is 11-4-1 all-time when playing Concord, dating back to 2013. NDC is 2-0 all-time against Alderson Broaddus dating back to 2011. NDC and AB met on Sept. 29 for the first time since their 2011 meeting, when the Falcons scored three second half goals within five minutes of each other to blow by the Battlers 3-0.
 
Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame is coming off a week where they split their two contests to grab three points and go 1-1. On Wednesday evening, NDC traveled to Fairmont State and fell 3-1, resulting in a split of the season series between the two schools. FSU scored in the 17^th and 32^nd minutes to hold a 2-0 lead before Madison Marino netted her first career goal scored. Fairmont State answered just 30 seconds later to go on and win in a match where NDC was outshot 11 (8) to 18 (13). On Sunday, Notre Dame avenged their loss and bested Glenville State 4-0. Marino opened the scoring with a 4^th minute goal, the second of her season. Louisa Follert then netted her team-leading eighth goal in the 18^th minute to put NDC up 2-0. Follert scored her second goal of the game off a cross from Marino, just 11 seconds before the half to make it 3-0 Notre Dame. Marino would tally her second goal of the match in the 47^th minute on an assist by Sammy Salatino, to seal the door shut in a game the Falcons dominated by outshooting the Battlers 20 (11) to 2 (1).
 
Follert has been the backbone for Notre Dame on offense with her team-leading nine goals scored, the 4^th best mark in the MEC this season. The freshman also ranks 7^th in the conference in shots per game (3.18), while being 3^rd in points per game (1.82) and tied for 4^th in total points (20). The emergence of Marino and the help from Salatino is the offensive firepower that Notre Dame College will need to make a postseason push.
 
For the postseason, the MEC is split into two divisions, where the top three schools in each division advance into the MEC Tournament. Currently, NDC is tied with West Liberty for the third and final seat in the MEC North Division (18 points each), with two contests left to play. The Hilltoppers will host Davis & Elkins College (6-8, 6-7 MEC) on Wednesday before traveling to Wheeling (4-11-1, 3-10-1 MEC) on Sunday.
 
This season, NDC has shot the ball 156 times and recorded 81 on target with 18 goals scored. They have added ten assists, 72 saves and 41 corner kicks.
 
Noting the Mountain Lions: Concord is a team who has been red hot all season long and continued their dominance into this past week. The last time CU lost a soccer match was the 2021 Spring MEC Tournament Championship game on Apr. 25, when NDC bested the then #5 Mountain Lions, 1-0. On Wednesday, Concord reigned supreme over Wheeling 7-0. It was a match where the Mountain Lions outshot the Cardinals 37 (17) to 2 (0). On Sunday, CU took care of Alderson Broaddus, 10-0. The Mountain Lions again outshot their opponent significantly, 42 (20) to 3 (1).
 
Concord is a dangerous team that touts the number one goal scorer in the MEC in Yasmin Mosby who has netted 17 on the season. Teammate Leah Foster also has double digit goals scored (10), to go along with West Virginia State's Fran Soares-Cupertino as the only three players in the conference with double digit goals scored.
 
CU is the top goal scoring team in the MEC by a wide margin with 56 goals scored compared to the next best's 33. They also lead the conference by averaging 3.5 goals scored per match with a total of 350 shots taken. The Mountain Lions also show a tough defense with the least goals allowed in the MEC at eight.
 
Noting the Battlers: Alderson Broaddus is on the other side of the spectrum from Concord, as AB are winless in their last 13 matches and have been shut out in their last four matches. The Battlers are coming off a 3-0 loss to Frostburg State on Wednesday when they got outshot 18 (8) to 4 (1). AB's next match was Sunday against CU when they fell 10-0 and were outshot 42 (20) to 3 (1).
 
Nataly Chauta and Diana Forero lead Alderson Broaddus on offense as they each have two goals scored on ten shots taken.
 
On the season, AB has totaled 96 shots and put 46 on target. The Battlers have scored eight goals, tallied six assists, 96 saves and 28 corner kicks.