OMAHA, Neb. – The Mavericks kickoff the 2020-21 campaign this weekend with a pair of matches vs. conference foe South Dakota State. The season opener is set for Friday, Feb. 12 at 1:45 p.m. The teams will wrap up the regular season series Monday, Feb. 15 at 9:45 a.m.
Follow the Match
The link for live stats is available on OMavs.com.
Quick Kicks
- Omaha is coming off a 5-11-2 season and a 2-5-1 finish in conference play last year.
- The Mavericks were picked eighth in the Summit League Preseason Poll. They will also host the Summit League Championships in April at Caniglia Field.
- Margaret LaVigne and Andrea Daves were named Preseason Players to Watch prior to the season.
- LaVigne earned Second Team All-Summit honors last year. She started all 18 matches and was part of a defensive unit that held opponents to one goal or less in 13 matches.
- Daves saw action in 16 matches and made 14 starts. She ranked fifth last year in the Summit League with six assists.
- Omaha added 13 players in the offseason.
- The Mavericks posted a 4-0 shutout in an exhibition win vs. Missouri Western Jan. 29.
- Regan Zimmers, Andrea Daves, and Sophia Green all scored in the exhibition win.
Scouting the South Dakota State Jackrabbits
South Dakota State was selected second in the Summit League Preseason Poll with 58 points and two first-place votes. The Jackrabbits finished last season 15-5-2 with a 6-1-1 finish in conference play, which earned them second place in the regular season standings. SDSU won the conference title last year for the sixth time in program history. SDSU fell in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament with a 1-0 loss to Oklahoma State. Kaitlin Zabel and Maya Hansen were both named Preseason Players to Watch.
Jackrabbits to Watch
- Kaitlin Zabel was a 2019 First Team All-Summit selection. She made 21 starts while logging 1,911 minutes in the back line. Zabel was part of a defensive unit that only allowed nine goals and helped the team post 14 shutouts with a 0.40 goals against average.
- Maya Hansen started 20 games for the Jackrabbits last year and appeared in all 22. She logged 1,273 minutes and led the team in assists (four), while finishing second in points (18) and goals (seven). Hansen was named the 2019 Summit League Freshman of the Year, while being named to the All-Summit Second Team and All-Freshman Team.
- Kaycee Manding also returns for the Jackrabbits. She earned All-Summit Second Team honors. She started 20 games and made 21 appearances in 2019. Logging nearly, 1,400 minutes, Manding finished third on the team with eight points. She tallied three goals and added a pair of assists on the year. Manding scored the game-winning goals against Utah State and Northern Iowa for the Jackrabbits last season.
Series History
Omaha holds a slight edge in the all-time series leading South Dakota State 7-6-1. The Mavericks lost to the Jackrabbits, 2-0, last season. Omaha picked up a 3-1 win vs. SDSU in 2018 in the Summit League Tournament to advance to the championship.
