Bemidji State lifts veil on 2026 women's soccer schedule
· Yahoo Sports
Jun. 18—BEMIDJI — Bemidji State women's soccer head coach Jim Stone announced Thursday afternoon the dates and opponents for the 2026 season, the 31st in program history.
The Beavers open the fresh season Friday, Aug. 28, and will play an 18-match regular season.
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Ahead of the start of their 18-match regular season, the Beavers will play three exhibition matches, Aug. 21-23, beginning Friday, Aug. 21, against College of Saint Benedict at Chet Anderson Stadium. The Beavers will then travel to Wisconsin-Superior and St. Catherine the following Saturday and Sunday.
The Beavers' 2026 season officially gets underway the following weekend when they host regional opponents Missouri Western State and Northwest Missouri State at Chet Anderson Stadium, Aug. 28 and 30. BSU then concludes its nonconference schedule with a road trip to Mankato on Sept. 4 to face regional foe Grand Valley State.
The 15-match Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule begins the following weekend with the Beavers traveling to Sioux Falls (Sept. 11) and Southwest Minnesota State (Sept. 13). BSU then returns home Sept. 18-20 and hosts Wayne State and Augustana for its first NSIC home matches. Bemidji State closes out play in September with another road trip, beginning with Minot State on Sept. 25 and ending at U-Mary on Sept. 27. Five of the seven matches during the month will be played on the road.
Bemidji State soccer fans will get a better look at the Beavers during the month of October as five of the team's matches will be played at their home pitch, Chet Anderson Stadium. BSU kicks off the month by hosting Minnesota State and St. Cloud State on Oct. 2 and 4. BSU then has a split weekend, traveling to Minnesota Crookston on Oct. 9 and then returning home to host Minnesota State Moorhead on Oct. 11.
The Beavers then make a road trip south to face Winona State (Oct. 16) and Concordia-St. Paul (Oct. 18). BSU hosts its final regular-season home matches on Oct. 23 and 25 against Jamestown and Northern State. The final match of the regular season then follows as the Beavers travel to Minnesota Duluth on Thursday, Oct. 29, ahead of the 2026 NSIC Tournament.
The Beavers will attempt to qualify for their 17th straight postseason when the NSIC Tournament begins Nov. 2 at campus sites. The winner of the NSIC Tournament earns an automatic bid into the NCAA D-II Women's Soccer Tournament, which begins Nov. 12. BSU will attempt to qualify for its second consecutive NCAA Tournament and fifth in the last six seasons. BSU has made six NCAA Tournament appearances in its 31-year history.
2026 will be the 25th season under head coach Jim Stone, who boasts a 271-144-53 career record. His career winning percentage of .636 is the second-best winning percentage among active coaches in the NSIC. His 24 seasons at a single institution are tied for the 10th-longest tenure among active coaches in Division II.
The five-time NSIC Coach of the Year returns an experienced group to the pitch in 2026, with 21 letterwinners returning of the 34 rostered student-athletes. Stone returns United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection Megan Ko as well as All-NSIC selections Madeline Davey (Second Team), Maggie Kramer (Second Team) and Ella Wade (Second Team).