With a 1-0 win over Fort Hays State (1-1) the Minot State University soccer team will begin their season with a 2-0 record for the first time since 2011.
 
"It was a nice way to get going," said head coach Jason Spain.
 
Junior Ninfa Ramirez (Perris, Calif.) was able to score the only goal of the game in minute 83 without an assist. She also scored the team's first goal of the season in game one against Washburn. Ramirez led the team in shots (4) and shots on goal (3) against the Tigers.

"She's dangerous," Spain said. "She's had quality opportunities with her shots and she's taken care of them."

Even with the great performance all coaches have notes on how to make their team better.

"Obviously you want to get the ball to our best players but we'd like to get the ball to our wings as well to really open up the offense," Spain said. "We haven't gotten our wings in play like we want, but we'll fix that as the season goes on."
 
By outshooting their opponent nine to five with a five to four difference in shots on goal the defensive unit for Minot State is living up to their preseason praise it received from their head coach.
 
In their first two games the Beaver have only allowed nine shots while taking 27 shots themselves.

"It's been ridiculous," Spain said about his team's defense. "Breanne [Hatfield], Ashley [Franco] and Meagan [Kawahara] have been shutting down wings. We haven't allowed many shots other than corner kicks which is great."

Spain said his team allowed just one shot from the middle in the first two games and it was wide of the goal.

"Haley [Lolmaugh] has done a great job defending both teams' best players," Spain added when mentioning his team's defense. 

Lolmaugh (Sr., Phelan, Calif.) played more minutes in 2014 than any other player for the Beavers making life a little easier on the goalkeepers. 

With the combination of Celene Johnson (Sr., Rocklin, Calif.) and Leila Torres (Jr. Burlingame, Calif.) at goalkeeper the Beavers were able to complete the shutout.
 
Johnson and Torres split time in the first game against Washburn as well with Torres giving up the only goal allowed on the year.
 
Minot State will play the University of Central Missouri (2-0), who made an elite eight appearance in 2014, on September 12 at 1 p.m. 
 

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.

– GO BEAVERS –