GAME NOTES (PDF) | 2017 BIG SKY TOURNAMENT BRACKET

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – After clinching a spot in the 2017 Big Sky Conference Championship tournament on Friday (Oct. 27) over Sacramento State, the Northern Arizona University women's soccer team is set to compete in the first round on Wednesday. Head Coach Andre Luciano and the Lumberjacks will face the No. 4 seed Portland State University Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. MST in the quarterfinals. The semifinal match will be held Friday, Nov. 3 and the championship match will be held Sunday, No. 5. For information on tickets and times click here. 

2017 Notables

-This season marks the Lumberjacks' 11th Big Sky Conference Championship tournament appearance, the 9th under current Head Coach Andre Luciano. 

-As of Oct. 17, Senior Adrian Nixt was named Offensive Big Sky Player of the Week after scoring a hat-trick against Idaho State (Oct. 15).

-As of Oct. 3, Freshman Taryn Benham  was named Defensive Big Sky Player of the Week. 

-Senior goalkeeper Meghan Dickmann recorded a career-high 10 saves against UNLV at home Sept. 8.

-As of Sept. 6, Junior Madeline Waszak was the first Lumberjack this season named Offensive Big Sky Player of the Week.

-Nixt once again made her way into the NAU record books, she is currently fourth in program history in game-winning goals (10), fifth in overall points (64), fifth in shots (176), tied for fifth in goals (25) and tied for sixth in assists (14).

-In NAU all-time single season records, Nixt has recorded a hat trick and is 10th in Points Per Match (1.00). 

-Dickmann also got on the all-time single season records picking up 4(0) shutouts so far this season. 

-11 different Lumberjacks have scored for NAU this season: Adrian Nixt (senior), Madeline Waszak (junior), Malia Lyken (sophomore), Mei-Te Coco (junior), Haleigh Van Allen (junior), Kambree Meskill (sophomore), Carly Gamble (sophomore), Paige Maling (freshman), Anna Goebel (senior), Chantal Deroos (senior) and Riley Porter (senior). 

-Northern Arizona has never won more than two overtime games in a season. Prior to beating Idaho and Northern Colorado in overtime this season, the last time the 'Jacks won two overtime games was in 2014.

-Just two out of nine true freshmen have appeared in all 19 games this season for the 'Jacks: Paige Maling and Emma Robson; Maling the only freshman to score and Robson starting in all but two. 

-Benham has played nearly half of the regular season, starting in all seven she has made appearances in, picking up three shutouts. 

The Scout

Quarterfinals vs. Portland State (No. 4)

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 1

Time: 1:05 p.m. MST

Coverage: ElevenSports | Pluto TV Channel 231 | WatchBigSky | Live Stats

Earlier in the season, the Lumberjacks took on the Vikings falling 1-0 in regulation. Northern Arizona picked up their sixth loss of the season in Portland and just the second of the Big Sky. The Vikings finished the regular season 8-9-1 overall and 5-4-1 in conference after most recently tying Montana in Missoula 1-1. Portland State's four conference losses were to Weber State, Eastern Washington, North Dakota and Northern Colorado. The Vikings are led by Katie Forsee, who delivered the lone game-winning goal against the 'Jacks. She has scored nine goals this season and assisted three for 21 points in her final year. 

Semifinals vs. Eastern Washington (No. 1)

Date: Friday, Nov. 3

Time: 12 p.m. MST

Coverage: ElevenSports | Pluto TV Channel 231 | WatchBigSky | Live Stats

With a win over Portland State, the Lumberjacks will face No. 1 and host Eastern Washington in the semifinals. This will be the Eagles first game of the tournament due to their first-round bye. Eastern Washington enters the tournament 14-5-1 overall and 8-1-1 in the Big Sky falling to Idaho in the last game of the regular season. Before that lost, the Eagles were on a nine game unbeaten streak. Leading Eastern Washington is senior Chloe Williams who has had a decorated season for her school and the Big Sky. She has recorded 10 goals, three game-winners, two assists and 89 shots. 

Veteran Affairs

The 'Jacks graduated a wealth of knowledge from the roster, including two All-Big Sky selections from 2016 in Lindsay Doyle and Missy Kettelkamp. But with seniors like top-scorer Adrian Nixt and forward Anna Goebel for the front line and Riley Porter a force to be reckoned with in the back line, the Lumberjacks bring back a number of veterans.

Nixt competed and started in all but one game last season picking up a season-high nine goals, five of which were game-winning goals. An All-Conference first team selection Nixt finished tied for third in game-winning goals in a season, tied for sixth in shots in a season and tied for eighth in points in a season. Goebel left her mark coming off the bench competing in all but one game. With only one goal in the regular season, Goebel came alive in the conference tournament scoring three goals, two of which were game-winners.

Newcomer News

NAU's 34-women roster is comprised of 21 underclassmen including nine incoming freshmen. The Lumberjack squad is young, but they are a formidable bunch returning 15 letterwinners, three of which earned All-Conference nods. With 11 different goal-scorers last season, there is not any one star the blue and gold will rely on this year.