St. Cloud State Women’s Soccer Selected Fifth in NSIC Preseason Poll
8/10/2026 12:44:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Trapino and Halunen named NSIC Preseason Players to Watch
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Women's Soccer was selected to finish fifth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league on Monday. The fifth-place selection is the fourth highest since 2008, behind a runner-up placement in 2024, and fourth-place selections in 2012 and 2025. Additionally, senior forward Linsey Trapino (Verona, Wis.) and junior defender Izzy Halunen (Woodbury, Minn.) were named the preseason players to watch by the NSIC.
Led by first-year head coach Maggie Sherman, the Huskies look to continue its impressive three-year stretch of advancing to the NCAA Tournament, its first three ever national tournament appearances. Last season, the Huskies set program records for program records for wins (16) and conference wins (11) while reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
"I am excited for the opportunity to build on the success this team has already achieved," said Sherman. "Having had a short window to work with the team this past spring, I was quickly impressed by the group's willingness to learn, embrace new ideas, and apply them both in training and in games. Their eagerness to learn and absorb new information helped us develop a strong team mentality and laid a great foundation heading into the fall. We are excited to build on that foundation, continue growing together, and hit the ground running as we compete at a high level."
Trapino continued her stellar collegiate career with another impressive junior campaign in 2025, earning All-NSIC Second Team and USC All-Central Region Third Team honors. She led the Huskies in goals and points with eight goals and six assists for 22 points. She also added a three game-winning goals and a team-high 48 shots on goal. Her three game-winning goals and 22 points both rank among the program's top-10 in a single season, while her career marks of 10 game-winning goals, 52 points, 20 goals and 12 assists all rank top-10 in program history.
"Linsey is primed for a standout year," said Sherman. "She has worked to become a leader both on and off the field. She knows when her teammates look for her guidance and she is able to understand what they need. We are a lucky group to have her as a member of our program."
Halunen earned All-NSIC Second Team honors for the second consecutive season in her sophomore campaign a year ago, while also serving as team captain and earning NSIC All-Academic and CSC Academic All-District honors. She played in and starting all 24 games, recording one assist while playing a full slate in 23 of 24 games and average 91.3 minutes per game on the pitch. She helped anchor a backline which held its opponents to 0.57 goals per game and set program records for fewest goals allowed (14), best GAA (0.57) and most shutouts (12).
"Izzy is the backbone of this team," said Sherman. "She has a unique understanding of who she is as a player, person and teammate. Her teammates look to her to in all aspects of the team environment. Her leadership is unrivaled and brings a special relationship to each member of this team."
The Huskies will play 15 conference games and 18 regular season games in 2026. Fans will get nine chances to watch the Huskies at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud, starting with the home opener on Sept. 5 against Minnesota Duluth in a nonconference match. St. Cloud State will kick off the season with three non-conference games, beginning with a road trip to Northern Michigan (Aug. 28) and Michigan Tech (Aug. 30) before the home-opener against Minnesota Duluth. The Huskies will then open NSIC play with a home weekend, hosting UMary (Sept. 11) and Minot State (Sept. 13).
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Soccer, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Led by first-year head coach Maggie Sherman, the Huskies look to continue its impressive three-year stretch of advancing to the NCAA Tournament, its first three ever national tournament appearances. Last season, the Huskies set program records for program records for wins (16) and conference wins (11) while reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
"I am excited for the opportunity to build on the success this team has already achieved," said Sherman. "Having had a short window to work with the team this past spring, I was quickly impressed by the group's willingness to learn, embrace new ideas, and apply them both in training and in games. Their eagerness to learn and absorb new information helped us develop a strong team mentality and laid a great foundation heading into the fall. We are excited to build on that foundation, continue growing together, and hit the ground running as we compete at a high level."
Trapino continued her stellar collegiate career with another impressive junior campaign in 2025, earning All-NSIC Second Team and USC All-Central Region Third Team honors. She led the Huskies in goals and points with eight goals and six assists for 22 points. She also added a three game-winning goals and a team-high 48 shots on goal. Her three game-winning goals and 22 points both rank among the program's top-10 in a single season, while her career marks of 10 game-winning goals, 52 points, 20 goals and 12 assists all rank top-10 in program history.
"Linsey is primed for a standout year," said Sherman. "She has worked to become a leader both on and off the field. She knows when her teammates look for her guidance and she is able to understand what they need. We are a lucky group to have her as a member of our program."
Halunen earned All-NSIC Second Team honors for the second consecutive season in her sophomore campaign a year ago, while also serving as team captain and earning NSIC All-Academic and CSC Academic All-District honors. She played in and starting all 24 games, recording one assist while playing a full slate in 23 of 24 games and average 91.3 minutes per game on the pitch. She helped anchor a backline which held its opponents to 0.57 goals per game and set program records for fewest goals allowed (14), best GAA (0.57) and most shutouts (12).
"Izzy is the backbone of this team," said Sherman. "She has a unique understanding of who she is as a player, person and teammate. Her teammates look to her to in all aspects of the team environment. Her leadership is unrivaled and brings a special relationship to each member of this team."
The Huskies will play 15 conference games and 18 regular season games in 2026. Fans will get nine chances to watch the Huskies at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud, starting with the home opener on Sept. 5 against Minnesota Duluth in a nonconference match. St. Cloud State will kick off the season with three non-conference games, beginning with a road trip to Northern Michigan (Aug. 28) and Michigan Tech (Aug. 30) before the home-opener against Minnesota Duluth. The Huskies will then open NSIC play with a home weekend, hosting UMary (Sept. 11) and Minot State (Sept. 13).
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Soccer, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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