The No. 23 Minnesota women's soccer team heads back out on the road this weekend for a two-game trip to Ohio. The Golden Gophers take on Bowling Green on Friday at 4:00 p.m. CST before rounding out the weekend on Sunday against Toledo at 12:00 p.m.

No. 23 Minnesota vs. Bowling Green and Toledo

Last Time Out
The Minnesota Golden Gophers rattled off an impressive five wins in nine days including two wins last weekend to clinch the Minnesota Gold Classic. After shutting out UC-Santa Barbara 2-0 on Friday to open the tournament, the Gophers added a decisive victory over then No. 14 San Diego on Sunday thanks to goals from Shari Eckstrom and Molly Rouse.

The Series
This weekend's games mark Minnesota's first-ever games against both the Falcons and Rockets. The Golden Gophers are 7-1-0 all-time against the Mid-American Conference, of which both Bowling Green and Toledo are members.

Follow the Action
Fans of Minnesota soccer can follow the action this weekend with live stats provided by the host teams. Links will be made available at Gophersports.com and on the Golden Gopher Soccer Facebook page.

Next Up
After a brief return to Minnesota following Sunday's game, the Golden Gophers travel to their final non-conference road game of the year to take on No. 21 South Carolina. The Gamecocks will be Minnesota's third ranked opponent of the year. The Gophers round out their non-conference schedule a week from Sunday at home against Illinois State.

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Moving on Up
Minnesota received its first national ranking this week with the No. 23 slot in the Soccer America poll. The Golden Gophes also earned votes in the NSCAA and SoccerTimes.com polls. Minnesota led the Big Ten in all three polls.

Scouting the Falcons
- A winless Bowling Green squad returns home this weekend after going 0-1-1 last weekend against Niagara and St. Bonaventure. The Falcons are 0-3-0 at home this season.
- Coached by Andy Richards.
- Leading scorers
 Alyssa Zuccaro 3 pts (1G/1A)
 Katelyn Turner 2 pts (1G/0A)
- Leading Goalkeeper
 Laura Arnold 4 GP, 6GA, 13svs

Scouting the Rockets
- Coming off a 4-1 loss at No. 18 Louisville.
- 2-0 at home with 10 of the team's 13 goals coming at home.
- Coached by Brad Evans.
- Leading scorers
 Kristen Lynn 7 pts (3G/1A)
 Devany Savage 5 pts (2G/1A)
- Leading Goalkeeper
 Vicki Traven 4 GP, 8GA, 18svs

The "Ecks"-Factor
Just six games into the 2010 season, junior midfielder Shari Eckstrom has already tallied a career-high four goals this season. Part of the the Big Ten's most potent offenses, Eckstrom leads the conference in goals.

Alive With Five
The Gophers return to action this weekend after a much needed four-day layoff. Before the break, Minnesota had picked up five-straight wins in just nine days. The 5-0-0 streak by the Gophers is second among Big Ten active unbeaten streaks only to Ohio State's 5-0-1 mark.

Rouse, Parkhill Best in the Big Ten
Two Gophers earned their first Big Ten Player of the Week in the days following the Minnesota Gold Classic. Senior midfielder Molly Rouse was tabbed as the conference's Offensive Player of the Week after tallying six points (two goals, two assists). Sophomore goalkeeper Cat Parkhill also earned the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award after allowing just one goal in three games.

Strahota Earns Praise
Junior defender Tamara Strahota was named a CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performer of the Week after successfully switching from forward to center back to replace an injured Jennie Clark. The Minnesota defense allowed just one goal and only six shots on goal over the weekend.

Captains Announced
Four seniors will serve as captains on the 2010 Gophers squad. Jennie Clark, Katie Bethke, Kyle Kallman and Molly Rouse were selected by their teammates to lead the team on the field.

Super Seniors
The 2010 roster features a group of seven seniors that have been one of the program's most successful senior classes. The group helped Minnesota win its third Big Ten title in 2008 as sophomores as well as earn its first-ever Sweet Sixteen appearance later that year.