The University of Minnesota Duluth soccer team will put the wraps on the 2021 season this Friday when the Bulldogs travel to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe St. Cloud State University. The last regular season game for both squads will get underway in St. Cloud, Minn. at 5:00 p.m.
The Bulldogs are (3-8-3) in NSIC play and currently on a two-game unbeaten streak. UMD sits in 11th place, and even with a win Friday, can finish no higher than tied for 10th in league play. The Huskies are 6-5-3 in the conference, and on the outside looking in at a playoff berth in the ninth spot. A win or a tie for SCSU and a Wayne State loss would land the Huskies into the eighth and final postseason slot.
THE SERIES: All-time, the Bulldogs are an impressive 17-9-6 against SCSU, and in their last seven meetings, UMD holds a 3-2-2 edge. In those games, the Bulldogs are 1-1-2 in St. Cloud, and in all seven meetings since 2013, UMD is averaging 1.43 goals per game.
A LOOK AT THE HUSKIES: When the Bulldogs and Huskies meet on Friday, it will be the fourth game in seven days for St. Cloud, which had to play a make-up game in Crookston, Minn. on Tuesday. The Huskies are on a four-game unbeaten streak, and are 2-0-1 over the past six days. Forward Claire Shea leads SCSU with seven goals in 17 games, good enough for sixth in the NSIC.
BULLDOGS GET OFFENSIVE: After struggling to find their offensive sync earlier in the season, UMD has now netted 10 goals over its last seven games. The Bulldogs, over that time span, are 3-2-2. Freshman Anna Tobias leads all scorers over that span (and leads the Bulldogs in goals for the season) with four tallies in her last six games.
While Tobias leads the Bulldogs with eight points on four goals, junior forward/midfielder Lauren Singstock sits second overall with one goal and five assists for seven points. SIngstock ranks sixth in the NSIC among all players in assists, while Tobias ranks 16th in goals scored. Tobias also has two game-winning goals, which ranks her 14th in the league.
TOBIAS MAKES A MARK: Rookie forward Anna Tobias is the first freshman in a decade to score four or more goals in a season for UMD. The last Bulldog players to score four or more goals in their first collegiate season was Maureen Stormont and Jennifer Smith in 2011. Stormont netted 10 as a rookie, while Smith registered five.
GRENZ SAVES THE DAY: Senior goaltender
Sophia Grenz ranks fifth in the NSIC with a whopping 89 saves total in 14 games for a 6.36 saves per game average. That average also ranks Grenz fourth in the conference.
