The series between Lakeland and Lawrence dates all the way back to the Muskies' first year playing the sport in 1974. The teams are meeting for the third straight year and Lakeland finally gets a home game after traveling to Appleton the last two years. The Vikings edged the Muskies 2-1 last year on Sept. 14, 2024, as Zach Dale broke a 1-1 tie with what proved to be the winning goal in the 58th minute. The teams played to a 1-1 tie in 2023, and Lakeland's last time hosting Lawrence came Sept. 17, 2018, a 3-2 Vikings win. The Muskies' last win over the Vikings came Sept. 7, 2014, when Mirko Tadic scored the golden goal in overtime in the 98th minute for a 1-0 victory.

Lakeland last time out: Defeated Martin Luther (Minn.) 2-0 Sunday
Jordan Davis-Troller scored two more goals, finding the back of the net for the third straight match and leading the Muskies to their second win of the season. Lakeland finally shook off a stubborn Martin Luther team with a pair of goals by Davis-Troller in the second half in the 56th and 87th minutes. Roman Riggs and Owen Bishop added assists and Andrew Davison and Matt English combined for the shutout in goal as the Muskies won for the second time in three games.

Lawrence last time out: Lost to Hamline (Minn.) 3-1 Sunday
The Vikings stayed winless on the season after the Pipers rallied to score three goals in the second half of the teams' non-conference match. Lawrence hosted Hamline two days after Lakeland faced the Minnesota school, and the Vikings scored first with a goal by William Mikkelsen in the 34th minute. Hamline responded by tying the score less than seven minutes out of halftime, taking the lead in the 77th minute and adding an insurance goal with three seconds left in the match. Lawrence dropped to 0-2-2 against a schedule that also has included a 3-0 loss to UW-River Falls plus ties against Lakeland's Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference foes Concordia Chicago and Concordia Wisconsin.