Soccer | 10.29.18

ST. PAUL, Minn. – For the second straight year, the Concordia-St. Paul soccer team (10-5-3, 7-5-3 NSIC) advanced to the NSIC playoff tournament, which takes the top eight teams with the most conference points from the regular season. The Golden Bears finished the year in seventh place with 24 conference points, which is one point behind the school record set last season.
 
As the seventh seed in the tournament, the Bears will face second seeded Minnesota State in Mankato on Wednesday, October 31^st at 3 p.m. Live statistics and a live video stream will be available for the game, with links that can be found at the top of the page or on the soccer schedule page.
 
NSIC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Bears have made 11 total appearances in the NSIC playoff tournament, most recently in 2017 when the team lost 2-1 to Augustana in the first round. In the tournament, CSP has an overall record of 2-10 with both wins happening in the 2006 season, when Concordia defeated both Minnesota State Moorhead and Wayne State.
 
This is the third time that CSP has qualified for the tournament in the last four years. Before 2015, though, it had been six years since the team had advanced to the NSIC playoffs.
 
LAST YEAR IN THE TOURNAMENT
Last season the Golden Bears faced off against Augustana in the first round, falling 2-1 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Vikings got on the board first, scoring in the 25^th minute with a chip shot over the goalie and went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
 
Concordia was outshot 9-2 in the first half, but came out stronger in the second half, holding a 6-4 shot advantage of their own and dominating a majority of the possession. Their aggressive play paid off, with Jordan Rowan-Stafford scoring in the 66^th minute to tie up the game at one apiece. However, the Vikings scored once more in the 88^th minute, giving them the 2-1 win, allowing them to move on in the tournament.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Most recently, the Golden Bears went 1-1 in their final weekend of regular season play, defeating Wayne State 1-0 and falling 2-1 to Augustana. Seniors Brooke Salo and Jade Weller had goals throughout the weekend, each scoring within the last ten minutes of regulation play.
 
Against Wayne State, the Bears held a slight edge in overall shots (9-8) despite being held to only one shot throughout the first 45 minutes of play. Salo broke the tie heading in a cross from Jackie Ehlert in the 83^rd minute. The defense recorded their tenth shutout of the season in the win, as they continue to break the school record, which used to be seven.
 
In their game against Augustana, the Vikings scored first in the second half when freshman Alexis Legg took a rebound from an Emily Nelson save and finished the play with a goal from one yard out. It took over 25 minutes, but the Bears responded with a goal in the 82^nd minute when Weller scored from just outside of the box. Regulation time ended and the game headed into overtime. Neither team was able to take a shot in the first overtime, but the Vikings came up with the game-winner in the second overtime, taking the game 2-1.
 
SERIES HISTORY VS MINNESOTA STATE
The Golden Bears are looking for their first win over Minnesota State, as the Mavericks hold a solid 16-0 record when playing CSP. However, two of the last three matchups have been decided by only one goal.
 
LAST MEETING VS MSU
Earlier this season Minnesota State came away with a 3-1 win at Sea Foam Stadium on a rainy Tuesday night. The Bears got on the board first with a goal in the seventh minute when Hannah Pavek crossed it to an open Rowan-Stafford, who put it away.
 
Minnesota State tied it up in the 19^th minute and got ahead with another goal in the 28^th minute to take a 2-1 lead into the halftime break. The Mavericks scored early in the second half to give them a two goal lead, which was all they would need as the Bears were held scoreless for the rest of the game.
 
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS
Minnesota State is currently ranked 21^st in the country holding a 15-2-1 record. They finished second in the NSIC with 40 conference points, behind #8 Bemidji State's league-leading 43 points. The team's only conference loss was to the Beavers and their tie came against St. Cloud State. The Mavericks bring a four game winning streak into the first round of the playoffs against Concordia.
 
MSU currently ranks first in the NSIC in goals scored, with 55 on the year so far. The Mavericks average just over 24 shots per game and have scored more goals in the second half. The team holds opponents to averaging 8.4 shots per game, while holding the third lowest goals against average (0.65) in the NSIC.
 
The Mavericks present a versatile offense with 17 different players scoring at least one goal throughout the year, with seven of those players recording game-winners. Their top threat lies in junior Dakota Wendell, who has 14 goals and six assists on the season. Junior goalkeeper Alexa Rabune has started in all 18 games this season, tallying 52 saves, nine shutouts, and a .812 save percentage.  
 
KEY STATS
-Emily Nelson recorded her sixth shutout with the win at Wayne State and continues to add to her Concordia record for most career shutouts, currently with 15.1.
-Nelson also ranks second in CSP history in career goals against average (0.95) and ranks second in the NSIC in goals against average (0.46) for this season.
-Brooke Salo added her second game-winner of this season and her fifth goal of the year against Wayne State.
-Against Augustana Jade Weller recorded her fourth goal this season and her 14^th career goal which bumped her up in the Concordia record book, as she is now tied for eighth in most career points with 37.
-The Concordia defense continues to set a new shutout record, as they now have 10 shutouts on the season.
-The 2018 team currently holds the CSP school season record for the lowest goals against average (0.69) and fewest losses (5).