Box Score WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Minot State University's Ninfa Ramirez (Jr., F, Perris, Calif.) scored with 1:38 to play in the first overtime lifting the Beavers to their first-ever NCAA Division II National Tournament win.

"Ninja" as she is known by her teammates, turned and lifted a shot 20-yards out that found the top, right-hand corner of the net and sent the Beavers into a frenzied post-match celebration.

"Normally I try to wait a little because people play so far back and give me distance, so I'm waiting until someone moves up," Ramirez said. "But that wasn't working because they were on my all the time, playing really tight. (On the game winner) I just turned, saw some space and hit it. I couldn't see it at all, but I saw the net ruffle and knew it was in. It's such a great feeling."

Ramirez's team-leading seventh game-winning goal of the season helped MSU top Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe Winona State 1-0 in overtime in the first round of the Central Region Tournament at Central Missouri's Jennies Field.

"I feel good," said MSU head coach Jason Spain. "I really wanted to get the first one, get it off my back. We set the school record for wins and got out of the first round, I feel pretty good."

The win broke the Beavers record for wins in a season and MSU improved to 16-4-2. Winona State finished at 13-6-2. Minot State advances to take on No. 1 seed Central Missouri Sunday at noon.

The game was mainly played in the middle of the field as the team combined for just 19 shots and 11 shots on goal. The Beavers put pressure on early and outshot the Warriors 6-2 in the first half, but didn't have many quality chances.

"They were taking away the entry balls, even to Ninja's feet," Spain said. "We couldn't get good crosses on them from our right side."

Part of the lack of great chances was a constant tight marking and double-teams on Ramirez, who scored her 16th goal of the season. But in overtime, Ramirez turned and found space as the double team didn't arrive in time. Her lofted shot tucked just under the post on the near side in the 99th minute.

"The second defender wasn't there," Spain said. "They had a second defender on her just about every time, but it didn't get there in time on that one. I saw her look over her shoulder and when it didn't come, she saw the opening. It was a class shot."

While MSU's goalkeeper Celene Johnson (Sr., Rocklin, Calif.) wasn't pressured much, she made a key save in the first half, sprawling to her right to stop a point-blank try and corralled multiple long balls sent into the box in the second half. She improved on her team record for wins, improving to 15-4-1 on the season.

"Steady is the word," Spain said of Johnson. "She didn't drop any balls and when all we are allowing is distance stuff, the key is not dropping any. She was really steady for us.

"Bello (Emily Rebelo, Sr., D, Sacramento, Calif.) was really good and Bree (Breanne Hatfield, Sr., D, Manteca, Calif.) sucked it up as she was sick with the flu. She gutted this one out and played all 90-whatever minutes."

The Beavers pressure in the first half helped Minot State have a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks and forced Winona State into 11 fouls compared to just seven for MSU.

"We were really tense around the net today," Spain said. "Hopefully getting one under our belt will help us out. We have a whole other animal with Central Missouri, but hopefully getting this one will help us come out more fluid."



About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.