MINOT, N.D. – Winning games via shutout isn't anything new for the Minot State University soccer team as they have now done it eight times with a 3-0 victory against Upper Iowa Sunday afternoon. What is new for the Beavers is how they scored goals.
 
With all three goals coming in the second half, MSU did something they had not done all season. Complete a game without a goal from either of the senior forwards, Ninfa Ramirez or Chloe Melton.
 
Instead Jannely Rangel, Ryann Rafferty and Carissa Schlesinger each scored a goal to put the Beavers on top. But Ramirez kept herself in the score sheet as she assisted on two of the three goals.
 
Rangel, who earned the start as Melton sat out with an injury, scored the game's first goal just two minutes into the second half as defender Kelli Creese struck a ball into the goalie box which Ramirez headed to Rangel for her first career goal.
 
"It was amazing," Rangel said. "It was a feeling I can't explain. It all blurs together, Ninja got the ball to me and I almost feel like I closed my eyes and shot. I saw it go in and lost it."
 
Ryann Rafferty scored next for Minot State with a header off of a corner kick from Ashley Franco. The goal was Rafferty's second of the season while the assist was the ninth of Franco's career moving her into a tie for third most in MSU history.
 
Rangel and Ramirez then assisted on the third goal of the game as Schlesinger scored her first career goal. Schlesinger said she was just as excited as Rangel scoring her first goal at Minot State and that it's nice for the team to get goals from players coming off the bench such as herself.

"It shows that we're a good team and not just dependent on one person," Schlesinger said. "It's exciting because we know we can use our subs and use everyone on the field."
 
Head coach Jason Spain agreed with his player as he liked seeing new players score goals.
 
"We are going to get double teamed a lot this season up front," Spain said. "It helps with our confidence to know that it doesn't have to be on Ninja to win games. I think sometimes we wait around for her to score, so this game was big."
 
With Ramirez's two goals against Winona State yesterday and two assists today she now has 71 career points pushing her past Zoe Fischer for the most points scored in MSU history.
 
Minot State will visit Minnesota State and Concordia, St. Paul next week on Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 23. Both games are scheduled to begin 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.