MANKATO, Minn. – When these two teams met last month they played to a scoreless draw. This time, there will be no tie – and the stakes are far greater.
The Minot State women's soccer team heads to Minnesota to take on NSIC regular-season champion Minnesota State, Mankato in the semifinals of the NSIC Tournament on Friday at 2 pm, and the winner – there must be a winner this time – plays Sunday for the NSIC title and an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
WATCH PARTY
The game will be shown on the big-screen TVs at the Beaver Dam and Minot State fans are encouraged to gather there to watch the action.
OUR CLICK HERE TO WATCH
MINOT STATE VS MINNESOTA STATE
Yes, last time these two teams met it was even on the scoreboard, and fairly even on the field, as well, as Minot State (9-2-8 overall) outshot the host and now 12th-ranked Mavericks 16-10, with the Beavers controlling first-half play and Minnesota State (14-1-4) holding the edge in the second half.
Minot State goalie Maddie Kindred made 5 saves in the shutout to lead the Beavers. Since then, Kindred has added five more shutouts giving her a single-season school record of 13 this fall. That total also has her tied for the lead in the nation with Northwest Missouri State's Lily Ellis.
Two of the saves that Kindred made in the teams' previous meeting came on shots by the Mavericks' Jenny Vetter, who led the NSIC in total goals with 11, who was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year, and won the Outstanding Senior of the Year Award.
Vetter leads the most potent offense in the NSIC as the Mavericks scored 52 goals this season and averaged nearly 3 per game. They also allowed the fewest goals (9), with Minot State allowing just 10 goals this fall.
Leading the Mavericks defense is goalie Mackenzie Rath who led the NSIC in goals against average (.481) and was second only to Kindred in save percentage at .886. Rath recorded 10 shutouts for Minnesota State.
In terms of their own offense, the Beavers were balanced as 10 different players scored led by Chloe Allan with 5 goals, while Mila Robichon, Brooklyn Casey, Hadlee Paxman, and Sarah Upton each had 3 goals this fall.
NCAA CENTRAL REGION POLL
The Minot State soccer team maintained their spot in the NCAA's latest Central Region poll released this week, holding strong at No. 9 after a 3-0 win over Northern State in the first round of the NSIC Tournament.
Minnesota State, the Beavers opponent Friday in the NSIC Semifinals, moved up one spot to No. 2 in the poll, and fellow NSIC rival Bemidji State slipped to No. 3. Bemidji State will play Augustana, which is ranked No. 10 in the Central Region poll, in Friday's other NSIC Tournament semifinal.
The final NCAA Central Region polls will help determine 5 at-larger berths to the NCAA Tournament along with 3 automatic berths given to the NSIC Tournament champion, and Mid-America Athletic Association and Great American Conference champions.
That final ranking will be announced during the NCAA Women's Soccer National Tournament selection show, which will be streamed online on Monday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. (CT) at NCAA.com.
CENTRAL REGION
| RK |
School (Conf) |
DII-Ref |
In-Reg |
LW |
| 1 |
Central Missouri (MIAA) |
16-1-2 |
16-1-2 |
1 |
| 2 |
Minnesota State (NSIC) |
13-1-4 |
13-1-4 |
3 |
| 3 |
Bemidji State (NSIC) |
11-1-5 |
11-1-5 |
2 |
| 4 |
Fort Hays State (MIAA) |
11-1-7 |
11-1-7 |
5 |
| 5 |
Emporia State (MIAA) |
10-5-4 |
10-3-4 |
4 |
| 6 |
Northwest Missouri State (MIAA) |
13-4-2 |
13-4-2 |
7 |
| 7 |
Central Oklahoma (MIAA) |
11-4-4 |
11-4-4 |
6 |
| 8 |
Washburn (MIAA) |
11-6-2 |
11-6-2 |
8 |
| 9 |
Minot State (NSIC) |
8-2-8 |
8-2-8 |
9 |
| 10 |
Augustana (NSIC) |
10-6-2 |
10-6-2 |
10 |
