UMD Athletics

The University of Minnesota Duluth soccer team scored two corner kick goals Friday afternoon at Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center in Marshall, Minn. to earn a 2-1 win over Southwest Minnesota State University in opening Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

It was the Mustangs who struck first in the 38th minute off a set piece kick from midfield by Abigail Schmidt that bounced over Bulldog goaltender Jordan Rosenfeld for the 1-0 lead.

UMD trailed into halftime despite a 7-2 shots advantage, but found the equalizer less than 10 minutes into the second half on the corner kick. In the 55th minute, Mustang goaltender Madelyn Cory made the initial save, but Nora Helvig volleyed it back into the mix to a waiting Lauren McGough. With her head, McGough redirected the ball through traffic for her third goal of the season – tying her for the NSIC goal lead and knotting the match up at 1-1. 

In the 81st minute, the Bulldogs took their first – and final – lead of the game on another corner kick. This time, Juliana Zerna's inswing kick needed no assistance finding the net to put UMD up 2-1.

UMD pummeled SMSU in the second half with 17 shots while holding the Mustangs without a single attempt. Overall, the Bulldogs put 10 shots on goal to SMSU's one – UMD had 24 overall shots to the Mustang's two. The Bulldogs had a whopping 13 corner kicks, including 10 in the second half alone while again holding the Mustangs without a single attempt.

Cory had eight saves for SMSU, who falls to 0-3-1, 0-1-0. on the season.

Rosenfeld's first start of the season went without a save, while UMD improved to 2-1-1 overall on the season and 1-0-0 in league play. The Bulldogs will face the University of Sioux Falls at 1:00 p.m. in Sioux Falls on Sunday.