The University of Minnesota Duluth will close out the 2013 regular season with a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matches this weekend, first traveling to Bemidji State University on Friday afternoon and then hosting the University of Minnesota-Crookston on Sunday afternoon.
The Bulldogs (12-3-0, 11-2-0) are in the catbird seat to host an NSIC tournament first round match-up next week but will need to extend their two-game winning streak this weekend to secure that spot. UMD sits in a third-place tie with Winona State and Upper Iowa at 33 points but holds a tie-breaker over them both having stood victorious in matches with the Warriors and Peacocks earlier this season. UIU and Winona will take on Minnesota State and Concordia this weekend while UMD tangles with the Beavers and Golden Eagles.
The Opponents
Bemidji State (11-5-0, 8-5-0 NSIC) also enters the weekend on a two-match winning streak and stands at sixth place in the league standings. Head coach Jim Stone and the Beavers are 6-2-0 at Chet Anderson Stadium this year. BSU has the sixth-best scoring margin in the NSIC, netting 1.94 goals per game while allowing 1.00. Freshman forward Sarah Stram leads the way for the Beavers with seven goals and sits at eighth in the conference with 18 points on the year. Junior Sonja Barr has started the majority of games in-net, posting a 0.66 GAA while allowing just seven goals iagainst 58 saves. She has accounted for five of Bemidji's seven shutouts in 2013. Like UMD, the Beavers have been a better first-half team, outscoring opponents 15-4 in the opening period of games.
The Bulldogs are 14-3-2 all-time against Bemidji State with a 1-1 draw last time out on Oct. 28 last season. Live stats will be available of the match on BSU's website or by
clicking here.
Minnesota Crookston (3-9-4, 1-8-4 NSIC) enters the weekend having tied each of its past two matches and plays St. Cloud State at home Friday before traveling to Duluth. Head coach Joe Alianiello's Golden Eagles allowed just eight shots in 220 scoreless minutes last weekend. UMC currently has more points via ties (four for four) than they do wins (one for three) in the NSIC, currently standing 13th in the league. The Eagles have scored just eight goals this season while allowing 19. Freshman Kallie Gau and senior Nikki Hammond each have a pair to lead UMC. Freshman goalkeeper Lexie Gauger has played the majority of minutes in-net and posted a 1.07 GAA with 72 saves and four shutouts in 2013.
UMD has never lost to Crookston in soccer, 11-0-0 in the all-time series after a 4-0 victory on Oct. 26 last season.
The Bulldogs
Without the team's leading scorer last weekend, senior forward
Dani Potter scored three goals on the weekend including a pair against Northern State and a game-icing penalty kick score against MSU-Moorhead. Potter is now 2-2 in PK attempts in 2013. She had 11 shots including seven on-net to lead UMD to a pair of victories.
Junior defender
Ana Zdechlik was the Bulldogs' iron horse last weekend as the lone player to log 90 minutes in each of UMD's pair of wins. As the back defender on most of UMD's offensive threats against MSU-Moorhead, she made several plays to send the ball back downfield when the Dragons had attempted a clear.
The Bulldogs have won three of its last four on the road and a perfect 7-0 at Malosky Stadium. They'll look to improve upon and defend those records this weekend. UMD turns the calendar to November with an afternoon tilt at Bemidji before looking to complete 2013 undefeated at home against Crookston on Sunday. Both matches are scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. kick-off.
