The Minnesota Duluth soccer team is in it for the long haul as they host their final conference match of the season. The Bulldogs will face off against St. Cloud State for the second time this season. With a win, the Bulldogs will secure their spot in the NSIC Conference tournament. This would be the first conference appearance for the Bulldogs since 2017, when they lost in a shootout to top seeded Minnesota State.
The Bulldogs are ready to continue their four game winning streak this weekend after two big wins against Minnesota State Moorhead and Northern State. Norris notched her fourth shutout with the 1-0 win over Northern State. She raised her save percentage to .849% and moved to sixth in the conference for saves.
The Bulldogs are currently sitting seventh in the conference thanks to their win over Northern state. The playoff race is still on though with U-Mary, Northern State, and Winona State sitting within one point of the Bulldogs. All three teams will be playing a crucial game for their playoff runs.
This will be the second time the Bulldogs see the Huskies this season, the first being in their third match of the year when the Bulldogs traveled to St. Cloud. The match favored the Huskies who bested the Bulldogs 4-1. The Bulldogs were without several players due to injury, including starting goalie Jenny Norris. The match in early September was the Huskies' eighth win against the Bulldogs since 2004.
The Huskies are currently sitting tenth in the NSIC standings, five points behind the Bulldogs. The Huskies have proved a worthy foe, but the Bulldogs still sit on top, their overall record being 11-8-5 against the Huskies. St. Cloud State will look to gain another win on the season, but the Bulldogs will look to secure their playoff spot.
Sophomore
Anna Tobias scored the lone goal in the previous match against the Huskies. Tobias scored the game winning goal in the Bulldogs' 1-0 win against Northern State last weekend and she will look to add to her four goals on the season in this week's match.
Jackie Jares still leads the Bulldogs with four goals, five assists, and thirteen points on the season. Senior
Hannah Caldwell and
Eliana Marciano both have three goals on the year, and five other Bulldogs have one goal on the season. Freshman
Myra Moorjani and Senior
Lauren Singstock also have a notable four assists on the season, their latest coming from their shutout win against Northern State.
With the conference tournament within the Bulldogs' grasp, they are ready for revenge against the Huskies. The Bulldogs will also celebrate their Seniors. Kickoff against St. Cloud State is Thursday at 6:00pm at Malosky Stadium
