MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University started off their homecoming Saturday with a bang courtesy of the women's soccer team. The Beavers defeated Southwest Minnesota State 2-1 in the first of three athletic contests set for Saturday.
 
After going down early 1-0 to the Mustangs on a goal from Lizzy Bruder, the Beavers entered halftime with a 1-0 deficit.
 
"We were down in the first half and we knew that there's no way we deserved that and that we needed to get a win" Chloe Melton (So., F, Fleet, England), who scored her second consecutive game-winning goal, said. "We want to sweep this weekend, so we came out in the second half fighting so hard."
 
It took little time for the Beavers to put the game back in the balance after half when Gemma Biasetto (Jr., F, Albuquerque, N.M.) struck a ball from the right side of the penalty area and rocketed it past the goalkeeper in the 50th minute. Kristin Long (Jr., M, Mesa, Ariz.) slipped Biasetto in with a perfectly weighted ball.
 
"Being in the back, you can only be so loud as a goalkeeper," Biasetto, who recently switched from goalkeeper to forward, said. "Moving up to forward gave me that opportunity to give the team some momentum."
 
The Beavers played off of Biasetto's momentum for the rest of the match as Melton put the Beavers ahead for good in the 63th minute and the team missed a couple other good opportunities down the stretch. Breanne Hatfield (Jr., D, Manteca, Calif.) assisted on Melton's goal.
 
"I feel like our overall effort was great," head coach Jason Spain said. "I think we played a lot better than we did against Bemidji, so our goal is to get better every day. We did that at practice this week."
 
Celene Johnson (Jr., GK, Rocklin, Calif.) played a key role for the Beavers allowing just one goal and saving six Mustang shots. Johnson started just her second game of the season for the Beavers Saturday morning.
 
Jamie Ayala (Jr., F, Temecula, Calif.) finished the game with two shots while Long, Jamie MacFarlane (Sr., F, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) and Emilie Rebelo (Jr., D, Sacramento, Calif.) all ended the game with one shot.
 
With the win, Minot State improves to 3-2-2 overall and 2-1-1 in the NSIC. Southwest Minnesota State falls to 3-4-0 overall and 2-2-0 in the NSIC.
 
The Beavers will look to finish out the weekend with a sweep tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. when they take on the visitors from the University of Sioux Falls.