Maverick Soccer Picked to Finish First in NSIC Preseason Poll

MANAKTO, Minn. — Minnesota State soccer has been selected to finish first in the 2025 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Coaches’ Poll, announced on Thursday.

This recognition follows an outstanding previous season where the Mavericks were crowned NSIC Regular Season and Tournament Champions, and finished as NCAA Division II National Finalists. MSU senior defender Kiera Laney (Maple Grove, Minn.) was named NSIC Defensive Preseason Player of the Year.

The Mavericks, who received 14 first-place votes and accumulated 224 points, are positioned 22 points ahead of second-place Concordia-St. Paul, which received one first-place vote and 202 points. Bemidji State and St. Cloud State follow in third and fourth place, with 177 and 176 points, respectively. The latter also received one first-place vote.

Minnesota State’s dominance in the NSIC is well established, having been picked to win the league for the 13th time since re-joining it in 2008. The 2025 NSIC Soccer Regular Season Champion will be determined through a 15-match league schedule, with points awarded based on match outcomes.

The Mavericks’ success last season was highlighted by their formidable defense, finishing as the top defensive team in NCAA Division II and achieving an 11-0-3 record in conference play. Their accolades included an NCAA Central Region Championship and victories over Grand Valley State and Columbus State in the NCAA Tournament.

Returning key players for the Mavericks include leading scorer junior Maddix Archer, a junior from Brookings, S.D., who earned USC Second Team All-America honors with nine goals and eight assists last season. Senior Addison Clarey from Rochester, Minn., also returns, having tied with Archer for the team lead in goals.

Minnesota State will kick off the 2025 campaign with three exhibition matches, starting with St. Catherine on August 22. The regular season begins on September 5 at home against Central Oklahoma. Under the guidance of head coach Brian Bahl, who boasts a 190-29-32 overall record with the Mavericks and 11 NCAA tournament appearances, the team is set to build on its previous success.

The NSIC Tournament is slated to begin on November 10, concluding with the championship on November 16. The tournament structure allows the top four seeds to host first-round matches, with the semifinals and finals held at the campus of the highest remaining seed.

Minnesota State’s players to watch this season include senior Laney and Clarey.

“Coming off a trip to the national championship game, conference regular season and tournament championships, and a regional championship, we are battle-tested and we learned a lot about what it takes to achieve success at the highest level and in the biggest moments,” Bahl said. “We certainly lost some key pieces from last year’s team but we have players that have been well prepared and that are ready to step in and fill those shoes. We return almost all of our scoring production from last year’s team, have an amazing group of women back throughout the roster and have an incredible leadership core that I believe in immensely and that I feel can help lead us to another special season for Maverick Soccer.”