MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State University soccer team couldn't seem to find a way into the net in the first half against Augustana. The Vikings goalkeeper came up with five saves to keep the score tied at 0-0.
 
"I was frustrated at halftime," said head coach Jason Spain. "Not with my team, but their goalie kept making great plays and I thought it might be a grind."
 
But the Beavers didn't have to grind it out for much longer as two goals were scored just five minutes into the second half. The first coming from sophomore Maritssa Perez and the second coming from senior Chloe Melton just 24 seconds later.
 
"I was very happy," Perez said. "I don't really score often, but I was there at the right time. We needed it. We needed the one goal to get us going. It helped with our intensity and pressure."
 
Melton complimented the goal scored by Perez and said she didn't quite remember her own as she tends to lose herself in those moments.
 
"I kind of black out when I score, but we had just gotten our first goal in and we were trying to get our second one straight away to finish the game," Melton said. "I remember receiving the ball on a quick turn, took on a couple players and tucked it in the bottom corner. Keeper didn't really have a chance."
 
Melton assisted on the goal by Perez to total three points in the match. With 31 career points she now sits as the No. 5 all-time scorer in MSU history.
 
"Of course it means something, it's always good to score for the team, but right now in season I'm only worried about winning," Melton said. "If by scoring those goals it means we win them I'm definitely happy about that, but I don't mind who scores if we keep winning."
 
Spain was happy to see his players score early in the second half to alleviate some of the pressure of the possibility of tying.
 
"[Scoring that quickly] doesn't happen very often," Spain said. "I'm glad it did because it took the wind out of their sails.
 
"It was nice that Maritssa got in. Last year in our St. Cloud game it was a similar situation and she hit one off the post so it was nice for her to score a goal. It's great to see the work in the offseason pay off for her."
 
Ninfa Ramirez scored the final goal of the game 77 minutes into the competition for her fourth goal of the season and 20th of her career as a Beaver.
 
Defensively, Minot State was led by Yesenia Piceno, Kelli Creese and Ashley Franco who all played 80-plus minutes in the win. Piceno was the lone Beaver to play all nine minutes.
 
Minot State will play again tomorrow, September 18 against Wayne State at 1 p.m. in Herb Parker Stadium.
 
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.