ST. PAUL, Minn. – After hosting their only weekday game of the year, the Concordia-St. Paul soccer team (7-2-3, 4-2-3 NSIC) will head back on the road to face #5 Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston this weekend. The Golden Bears will play the Beavers on Friday at 3 p.m. and then face the Golden Eagles on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
The Bears are currently sitting in fifth place in the NSIC with 15 points, which is two points ahead of the next four teams, who are all tied for sixth. Of the 16 conference teams, Concordia has the second lowest goals allowed average, allowing 0.55 goals per game, and has only allowed seven goals through their first 12 games.
 
LAST TIME OUT
On Tuesday, the Golden Bears hosted the Mavericks of Minnesota State, who are currently ranked #22 in the country. The game featured constant rain, which was a challenge for both teams. CSP got on the board first, scoring in the seventh minute when senior Jordan Rowan-Stafford took a cross from junior Hannah Pavek and put it in the back of the net to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead.
 
The Mavericks answered, scoring once in the 19^th minute and again in the 28^th minute to take a 2-0 lead into the half. MSU would score once more in the second half when Dakota Wendell fired a rocket from 25 yards out, helping the Mavericks come away with a 3-1 win.
 
BEMIDJI STATE SERIES HISTORY
The Bears hold an 8-11-2 all-time series record against the Beavers and have won three of the last four matchups. Twelve of the 21 games in the series have been decided by a goal or less, with two games being decided in overtime periods. When playing on the road against BSU, Concordia is 3-6, with their last win in Bemidji being in 2016, when the Bears came away with a 1-0 victory.
 
LAST MEETING VS BSU
Last season the Beavers traveled to St. Paul and defeated the Bears 3-0, giving CSP one of only three home losses in the 2017 season. The Golden Bears were outshot 7-2 in the first half, but made some adjustments at the break and held an 8-2 advantage in shots in the second half. However, the Beavers scored twice in the first half and once again in the second to give them the 3-0 win.
 
Bemidji State's Rachel Norton played a big part in the win, as she scored the game-winner in the 36^th minute and then assisted the other two goals in the 39^th and 55^th minutes.  
 
ABOUT THE BEAVERS
BSU is 12-0 overall and remains the only unbeaten team in the NSIC with a perfect 9-0 record. Others have noticed this success, as the Beavers are currently ranked fifth in the country. The Beavers have won seven games by more than one goal, most recently defeating Minot State 3-0 and UMary 3-1.
 
Senior Rachel Norton is the team's top player, leading the NSIC in many statistical categories, including points (31), goals (13), and shots (62). Sophomore Allyson Smith and senior Dani Nelson are also major offensive threats, as Smith has scored six goals and Nelson has scored four goals on the year. Sophomore Alanna Mattson leads the conference in assists, as she has set up six of BSU's goals this year, while also scoring two of her own.
 
As a team, Bemidji State takes an average of 16.4 shots per game and scores an average of 2.58 goals per game. The team also leads the conference in goals allowed, holding opponents to an average of 0.50 goals per game.
 
MINNESOTA CROOKSTON SERIES HISTORY
In their series history, the Bears hold a 12-6-2 record against the Golden Eagles. When playing in Crookston the Bears are 5-3-1, but the team has not won on the road against UMC since 2013. In the past nine years, CSP has 6-1-2 record against Minnesota Crookston, which includes two 0-0 ties and three games decided by one goal.
 
LAST MEETING VS UMC
The Golden Bears played Minnesota Crookston at home last season, defeating them 3-0. CSP held a dominant 25-4 shot advantage, allowing no shots in the second half and only one shot on goal throughout the entire 90 minutes.
 
Cayla Renwick scored her first two collegiate goals in the contest, scoring less than three minutes apart in the first half. She first scored in the ninth minute, which would have been all the team needed for the win, but in the 12^th minute she collected her own rebound and fired another shot which found the back of the net. CSP's Pavek added a third goal for the Bears in the half, giving them a comfortable 3-0 lead. The defense took care of the rest, helping Concordia record one of their seven home wins of the 2017 season.
 
ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Minnesota Crookston is 1-9-2 on the year and 1-6-2 in conference play so far this season. Their lone win was a 1-0 victory over Upper Iowa, and they have tied conference opponents Winona State and UMary. Three of their nine losses have been decided by one goal. The team is most recently coming off a 0-0 tie with UMary and a 4-0 loss against Minot State.
 
Freshman Maggee Hodgdon leads the team in scoring with three goals on the season. Vanessa Shelton, Lindsey Daml, and Jessica Withrow have also contributed to the offense, scoring a goal each. Goalkeepers Athena DiMario Done and Olivia Puttin have shared time in net, combining for 127 saves and 28 goals allowed.
 
The team averages 4.4 shots and 0.5 goals per game. On average, the defense allows 2.33 goals and 21.1 shots per game. Of the six goals that they have scored this season, three were scored in the first half and three in the second. Their opponents have also had an even split in scoring, recording 14 goals in the first half and 14 in the second.
 
KEY STATS
-Jordan Rowan-Stafford recorded her third goal of the season against #22 Minnesota State on Tuesday night, which was her 14^th career goal. The Oakdale native is now tied for eighth in CSP's record book of most career goals.
-Junior Hannah Pavek assisted Rowan-Stafford's goal, which is her first assist of the year and second of her career.
-The defense has given up only seven goals through 12 games, holding the second lowest goals allowed average in the conference at 0.55 goals per game.