The No. 8 seed University of Minnesota Duluth soccer team took the field for the first round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament against No. 1 seed St. Cloud State University this afternoon. 

The team's season was brought to an unfortunate close, an early SCSU goal making the difference. However, UMD battled the entire game, controlling play for large portions. This was the first time since 2017 that the Bulldogs made the NSIC postseason and marked a distinct turnaround from last season. 

The Huskies scored 10 minutes into the game, but UMD set the tone for the rest of the match. The Bulldogs fought back, their confidence and patience with the ball growing, despite the one-goal deficit. 

A UMD throw-in with under 14 minutes left in the first half went back and forth between the teams, until a Bulldog player emerged with control. Junior Anna Tobias was wide open downfield, calling for the ball. Tobias began to dribble in, but was pressured by a streaking SCSU defender, making her shoot wide. 

Undeterred, the Bulldogs continued their offensive attacks. On a corner kick with seven and a half minutes on the clock, the ball entered netfront traffic, but bounced towards centerfield. Junior Baamlak Haugen sent the ball back with a booming kick. It was redirected into the net, but not before UMD was called for offsides. 

Even when it didn't seem possible, the Bulldogs continued to turn up the pressure. Early in the second half, senior Jackie Jares pushed up along the sideline, passing the ball across the penalty area to sophomore Miriam Marsan under pressure, shooting high. 

Jares continued to make rushes up the side of the field, creating several of UMD's highest quality rushes while breaking through the defense and finding open teammates. Physical play increased from both sides as the clock wound down. 

In the end, Jares and Tobias led all players in shots (4), nearly outshooting the entire Huskies roster. The Bulldogs outshot SCSU the entire game, leading 10-4 in shots on goal at the final whistle. Even a late corner kick couldn't get the ball in the back of the net for UMD, with an initial shot blocked and the rebound bouncing off the crossbar.

The Bulldogs close the season with a 6-7-6 record (5-5-5 NSIC), making their first postseason appearance in six seasons. The 2023 season was one of growth and excitement for UMD Soccer, with both program and NCAA records broken and close games all the way to the end.