Game Time...Northwestern College heads to Minnesota for a pair of non-conference matches this weekend against College of Saint Benedict and Martin Luther. Action gets underway at the Fitness Revolution Center in Sartell, Minn. at 9am against the Blazers of CSB, followed by a 12:30pm match against Martin Luther. 

All-time...The Red Raiders are 0-2 all-time against CSB, including a 6-3 loss last year. They also squared off in 2012 where NW lost 8-1. Northwestern defeated Martin Luther 9-0 in 2013, the only prior meeting between the two teams. 

Scouting Reports...

    College of Saint Benedict Blazers: 4-1     Head Coach: Michael Engdahl (2nd year)

CSB have won three straight this spring, defeating Northwestern (Minn.), Saint Cloud (Minn.) and Concordia-Moorehead (Minn.), to push its record to 4-1 on the year. They went 1-1 last fall, earning an 8-1 win over Wisconsin-Stout and losing to Eau Claire. Most recently, the Blazers defeated Moorehead 8-1 on Feb. 11. 

Engdahl returns nearly everyone off a 2017 team that finished eighth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) with a 3-7 record but ended 10-13 overall, the most wins since the 2013-14 season. Engdahl has been the coach at both USD and SDSU prior to coming to the Blazers last season. An NCAA D-III school, CSB was picked sixth of 11 teams in the MIAC preseason poll.

Kayla McIver leads the team with a 6-2 record in singles' play, mainly at the No.4 or No.5 positions. Mackenzie Schurhamer is 5-2 on the year, 3-0 at the No.5 spot. Both Erin Kolbow and Ellen Stensrud are both 4-3 on the year. 

    Martin Luther College Knights: 1-2     Head Coach: Arlen Koestler (23rd year)

The Knights are 1-2 this season, losing by 9-0 scores to both Saint Mary's and St. Catherine's, and a 9-0 win over Bethany Lutheran. Martin Luther was picked third out of eight teams in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference preseason poll.

Koestler, the long-time head coach of the Knights tennis' program, returns three starters from a 2017 team that finished third in the conference with a 6-4 record, 6-10 overall. They qualified for the conference tournament for the fourth straight year and lost in the semifinals.

Anna Hemmelman and Rachel Riediger are both returning starters and all-conference players who owns 1-2 records this season. Hemmelman, who went 7-9 last year, has played in the No.1 singles spot so far this season. Ella Loersch is 1-1 this season, played in the No.6 spot.

Northwestern College Red Raiders: 0-3             Head Coach: Jeff Guthmiller (13th year)

The Red Raiders are 0-2 this spring and, combined with a 5-4 loss to Buena Vista last fall, are 0-3 overall during the 2017-18 season. They lost to Bethel (Minn.) 9-0 and to Minnesota State 7-2 on Feb. 3.

Guthmiller, in his 13th overall and 10th consecutive season as the Red Raiders head coach, returns five players and four starters from a 2017 team that finished tied for sixth in the GPAC with a 2-5 record, 6-8 overall. 

Both Kendra McGinnis and Jacque Ingram are 2-1 this season while Zoe Holscher, an all-conference selection last year, has the other win in singles' play and sports a 1-2 record.