Bulldogs drop first of the season against No. 15 MSU-Mankato, salvage point against CSP

Photo courtesy of Spencer Olsen

All streaks must come to an end, as was the case for the University of Minnesota Duluth women’s soccer team who saw its four-game win streak to begin the season, come to an end on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (4-1-1; 1-1-1 NSIC) faced a tough opponent in the No. 15 Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks. The match was scoreless after regulation, but Mankato’s Morgan Cottew sent UMD packing with a goal at 94:06. The Bulldogs fall to 8-19-4 against the Mavericks all-time following the loss.

With Saturday’s loss in the rearview mirror, UMD would have to up its game against Concordia-St. Paul.

A goal from Golden Bears’ Hannah Pavek at 9:13 put the Bulldogs in unfamiliar territory: trailing for the first time in nearly 460 (459:19) minutes this season. Another goal in the 35th minute tilted the favors even more in CSP’s direction.

But the match wasn’t over yet.

Sophomore midfielder Emily Hinz netted her first collegiate goal at 65:16 by rocketing home a shot from just outside the 18-yard box to cut the Golden Bear lead in half.
“The finish was tremendous,” head coach Greg Cane said. “I was really happy for Emily. Her game has really been on an incline this season already, and I was just happy to see her score. It was a real pivotal goal in the game.”

“[The ball] went off the corner and deflected back to me, and I saw my chance,” Hinz said. “I saw the open slot between the goalie and the post. I hoped for the best, and I’m really glad it went in.”

Junior defender Lizzy Fontes used her head to knot things up at two apiece at 74:36 with her first goal of the season. Hinz lobbed a ball high in the air as Fontes bolted into the box and headed the ball into the lower left corner.

Strong winds played a major factor in the game, as all four goals were scored going with the wind toward the east end of the field.  

“I think [the wind] factored a bit more in the first half,” Cane said. “We had our struggles with being able to clear balls. They play fairly direct, and they had our back line pretty busy at clearing balls deep on our end. It was difficult for us to get those clearances strongly far given the wind.”

UMD will next play at Minnesota State University-Moorhead on Friday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. and will return home on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. to face Northern State University.