This is the third of a five-part preview of our 2017 NPSL North Conference Season Preview. If you missed the first or second parts, they can be found in this storystream.

Hopefully you’ve decided you want to follow the NPSL North Conference in its inaugural season. Here’s some of the best matchups to pay attention to this season:

Minneapolis City SC v Viejos Son Los Trapos FC

The Twin Cities Derby will feature two clubs who will likely be near the top of the table. We’re lucky enough to see this play out in the very first matchweek of NPSL.

May 13 at VSLT (St. Paul), June 17 at Minneapolis City

Dakota Fusion v Sioux Falls Thunder

It’s another derby in NPSL, this one between North and South Dakota. The Fusion are replacing defunct FC Fargo this year. There may not be title race implications on the line, but this should be a fun matchup nonetheless. We also see this rivalry take off in the first week of the season.

May 13 at Sioux Falls, June 17 at Dakota Fusion (Fargo, ND)

Med City v Duluth FC

It’s not a derby, and there’s no real history between the clubs, but I think this could be an important matchup to watch. Both teams have been brought up as dark horse candidates to take the league by storm. If either club aims to finish near the top of the table, they’ll have to get past the other.

June 10 at Duluth, July 8 at Med City (Rochester)

Minnesota TwinStars v LC/EC Aris

These clubs have been around the longest, and yet are two of the biggest unkowns in NPSL. Aris hasn’t been active on Twitter for years, while TwinStars have undergone recent upheaval in the front office. Both clubs will likely be closer to the bottom than the top of the standings, but sometimes that makes the fixtures all the more entertaining.

June 10 at TwinStars (Minnetonka), July 8 at La Crosse, WI

Which of these promising fixtures has caught your eye? Let us know in the comments!

Coming tomorrow and Friday: A feature on Minneapolis City SC and the first edition of NPSL North Weekly, complete with predicted standings.