Game Time...Northwestern College will make its spring season debut this weekend with a pair of matches in Owatonna, Minn. The Red Raiders will play Bethel (Minn.) at 11:30am Saturday morning and will then face Minnesota State University later in the day at 5pm. 

All-Time...The Red Raiders are 0-4 all-time against Bethel, last playing the Royals last year when they lost 9-0. This will be the first ever match-up between Northwestern and Minnesota State.

Scouting Reports...

    Bethel Royals: 0-0              Head Coach: Drew Fernelius (6th year)

Affiliated with NCAA D-III and members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Bethel will also be making its season debut this weekend. Fernelius, beginning his sixth season as the Royals men's and women's tennis coach, returns six players from a 2017 team that finished with a 19-4 overall record, losing in the conference semifinals. 

Senior Mattie Kidder is the top returning player, having earned all-conference honors in both singles and doubles play last year. Kidder posted an 18-4 record in singles, going 11-4 at No.1 and a perfect 7-0 in No.2 spot. Sami Hindt went 19-3 last year, 14-1 at the No.4 spot in the line-up, and also earned all-conference honors. Jill Weinzettel (18-5) and Meghan Schuler (12-8) are the other top players returning.

    Minnesota State Mavericks: 0-1            Head Coach: Tony Boehler (1st year)

The Mavericks bring an 0-1 record into the weekend, losing its only match played last fall to St. Thomas 8-1. Boehler, in his first season as the head of MSU tennis program after serving as the head coach at Bethany Lutheran, inherits a squad that returns five players from 2017 team that finished fifth in the Northern Sun Conference at 7-4, 10-11 overall. Minnesota State is a NCAA D-II institution and was picked to finish fifth in NSIC women's tennis preseason coaches' poll.

Erin Streeter is one of the top returning players for the Mavericks, going 9-8 last year in the top singles' spot and 11-9 in doubles play, earning first team all-conference players. Monika Ryan went 7-11 last year in singles play and Killian Doran posted a 5-8 singles record in 2017.

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

The Red Raiders lost to Buena Vista in its only match last fall and begin the spring season with an 0-1 record. 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. 

Junior Kendra McGinnis is the most experienced player returning, having lettered the previous two seasons. McGinnis went 7-7 in singles play last season and has 12-19 career singles record in her two seasons at NW. Sophomore Zoe Holscher earned all-conference honors in both singles and doubles play in her first season wth the Red Raiders last season, posting a 9-5 mark at No.2 singles. Kelly Shortenhaus (5-9 singles) and Emma Van Drie (4-9) are the other returning starters for Guthmiller.