The University of Minnesota Duluth soccer program will enter the second half of its regular season this weekend with a road trip to Bemidji and Crookston. The Bulldogs will match up with the Beavers on Friday, October 8 at 3:00pm before traveling to Crookston to take on the Golden Eagles on Sunday at 1:00pm.
BATTLE AGAINST THE BEAVERS: Friday's match against Bemidji will prove to be a tough road test for the Bulldogs, who are still searching for their first win of the season. Bemidji has historically been a tough opponent for the Bulldogs, who hold a 2-4-2 record against the team since 2013. In the last matchup between the two teams on September 22, 2019, the Beavers left Malosky Stadium with a 2-1 victory.
Bemidji has been on a tear this season and are currently ranked No. 13 overall in the United Soccer Coaches Women's Soccer Poll. The Beavers are the only NSIC team in the Top 25 nationally and are unbeaten in their last 13 matches. The team is 8-0-1 overall this season and 5-0-1 in the conference and have yet to lose at home.
Beavers senior forward Sara Wendt will be the player to watch for Bemidji, leading the team in scoring with ten goals so far on the season.
OUTLOOK ON CROOKSTON: The Bulldogs will head to Crookston hoping that this matchup will look a little like the last matchup between the two teams, when the Bulldogs came away with a 4-0 win on September 20, 2019. UMD is 5-1-1 against the Golden Eagles since 2013 and 16-1-1 in all competitions against the squad. The Bulldogs' last loss against Crookston came in 2015, a 2-1 loss in double overtime.
Crookston is 1-8 overall this year and 1-5 in the NSIC. The team is still searching for their first home win; the Golden Eagles are currently 0-3 with home field advantage. The team is currently battling a five-game losing streak, and their last game out was a 9-0 loss to Augustana. Their last win came on September 17, a 1-0 victory over Minnesota State University Moorhead.
FANTASTIC FRESHMAN: The Bulldogs will look to freshman standout Emilia McGiffert to be the difference-maker this weekend. The midfielder, a local product from Duluth's Marshall School, is currently leading the team in goals this year with two. She also currently holds a remarkable 1.00 SOG%, with all five of her shots so far this year going on frame. Jackie Jares and Lauren Singstock have each tallied one goal for the Bulldogs so far this season as well.
VETERAN DEFENSIVE PRESENCE: When it comes to veteran presence in the midfield and back line, look no further than Holly Kaboord, who has played 811 of 830 possible minutes so far this season. She's been productive in that time, too -- she currently leads UMD in shots with 17.
Five Bulldogs have made double-digit shot attempts so far this season: Kaboord, Lauren Singstock (15 shots), Sarah Stange (14), Anna Tobias (14), and Jackie Jares (13). Stange and Jares each have nine shots on goal so far this season, tied for the most on the team.
After this weekend, the Bulldogs will have another weekend on the road before coming back to Malosky Stadium on October 22. For the full 2021 schedule, click here.
