Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern soccer program begins the 2021 season on the road in Mankato, Minn., taking on Upper Iowa (Friday) and Minnesota State – Mankato (Saturday).
 
The Lions (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) were picked to finish 10^th in the MIAA preseason coaches' poll and return 17 from the spring season and added 17 newcomers to the fold. As a team this spring, the Lions finished with a 4-9 overall record while going 1-4 in MIAA play and returned to the MIAA postseason tournament for the first time since 2017.
 
Friday against Upper Iowa the Lions will kick off at 1 pm from the Maverick Soccer Complex – The Pitch. Saturday the Lions will take on Minnesota State – Mankato at 3 pm. Both games this weekend will have live stats and a stream associated with it as well. Links can be found here - www.mssulions.com/coverage.
 
Upper Iowa was selected to finish fifteenth in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll while forward Haley Ramberg and defender Aimee Sies were named players to watch within the Peacocks squad. In 2019 the Peacocks went 4-10-4 overall and 4-8-3 in NSIC play.
 
Minnesota State – Mankato was picked to win the NSIC in the conference's preseason coaches' poll. Jenny Vetter and Kelly Friedrich were the players to watch for the Mavericks and Vetter was tabbed as the NSIC preseason player of the year. In 2019 Mankato finished with a 19-4-1 overall record after going 12-3 in NSIC action and claimed their fourth NSIC postseason tournament crown in a row. The Mavericks made it to their ninth straight NCAA tournament and were featured in the United Soccer Coaches (USCA) Top 25 Poll in all 12 installments during the season, peaking at #2 on Sept. 24th and finished the season ranked #5 the highest ranking to close out a year in the program history.