The Northern State soccer team has put together a solid season on the pitch this fall.

The Wolves are heading into their final regular-season game currently in third place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings, following a tie on Sunday against Bemidji State.

NSU is currently 9-4-3 overall and 8-3-3 in the NSIC. The Wolves host Jamestown University at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the NSU Pavilion and appear poised to make a deep postseason tournament run.

Northern Bob Casper points to a few things he thinks have led to his team’s success this season.

“We have consistency,” Casper said. “We talk a lot about playing to a certain standard. So, everyone on the team has a general concept and idea of what that should be relative to their position. … There’s been a lot of consistency there and people are engaged with planning, tactical plans and we have some unity in that way.”

Casper also demands a few things out of his players. “We have certain intangibles that are non-negotiables,” he said. “We talk about giving 100% of your effort and 100% of your focus. Every year looks different, but I’d say we still have those. … The standard is an additional piece. It’s like a further definition of your effort, your focus.”

With the regular season coming to an end Casper wants to make sure his team keeps up its good habits and all of the progress.

“There are just no hiccups at this point,” Casper said. “Errors and mistakes happen all the time. It’s just how the sport goes. But the things you can control, your effort, your focus, those things. That has to be our standard. … If you let that be present or you’re still not sure you’ve conquered that battle, well, if that happens in your first playoff game, that’s absolutely the worst time in the whole season you could have something like that.”

Casper also says there’s a big difference when it comes to regular season versus the tournament, especially because of how strong the conference is, so teams will be fighting for an NCAA Tournament spot.

“If you can win and advance, that can help your resume towards the NCAA tournament. We quite regularly will see three (NSIC) teams get into that tournament,” Casper said. “A lot of teams are trying for that number one position, but if you want to progress deeper to at least the semifinal, if not the final, to continue to improve your team’s resume. In the event you don’t win it, you can still enter the NCAA Tournament.”

And for Casper’s team to make a deep run in the NSIC Tournament and have a shot at the NCAA Tournament, he plans to do a lot of homework.

“You’ll play teams for the second time so you can take your lessons and address them in some training, so it is a good moment to reflect specifically against that opponent,” Casper said. “You have to have that focus dialed in; approach it like a new scouting report, which it is, even though it’s a team you’ve already played. Then make sure your habits, your character of your team, your work rate, the focus and the standard of play is where it’s been at its best.”

One advantage that the Wolves look to bring into the postseason is their balanced attack. Four players have attempted double-digit shots this season: Jaylee Hofer, Kylie Albert, Chloe Voss and Lauren Youngquist.

“I think they can come from different moments in a game, whether it’s from an open play or set play, so that means you can get some of the variety,” Casper said. “You can put players at different parts of the field so they can’t just hone in on one spot or one side. Now you can spread the field out that way.”

Leading that balanced attack is Hofer, who has a team-high 14 points this season with five goals (also a team high) and five assists.

“On set plays she can be the first to deliver a corner kick or a free kick at times,” Casper said. “From an open play, she’s really calm with the ball. She can have possession of it with pressure on her or around her and that allows the team to get set in attacking. … When you get her the ball, she’s providing that calmness and that presence on the ball so other players can move forward and get themselves into good positions.”

Hofer is currently in her junior season and each year of her college career has seen improvements. As a freshman, Hofer totaled five points then jumped to 12 points in 19 games and now currently sits at 15 points through 16 games.

“That’s what you want,” Casper said. “It’s encouraging because that’s our job. Our job is to create an environment where people progress.”