ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Concordia-St. Paul soccer team (6-3-5, 5-3-3 NSIC) defeated Minnesota Duluth 2-0 (7-5-2, 6-4-1 NSIC) on a breezy Friday night at Sea Foam Stadium.
Head coach
Steve Bellis said following the game, "Great team performance and a fantastic NSIC game. This is a result we've been working on and we are excited for the next."
The win marked the Golden Bears' first home win since defeating Jamestown 4-1 on Sept. 13 and the fifth straight win against UMD.
Sophia Haase led the Navy and Gold with two goals, moving into a tie for second on CSP's single-season goals list with 12, matching Katie Anderson's total from 2023. Haase also moved into second on CSP's career goals list with 30, surpassing Rachel Vitense.
The Golden Bears came out firing in the first half, spending much of the opening 25 minutes in the offensive zone.
Sophia Haase opened the scoring in the 10th minute, finishing a rebound after
Ashley Bennett's shot hit the woodwork. Haase added her second goal later in the half, tapping in a cross from Bennett to give CSP a two-goal lead.
In an even first half, Minnesota Duluth held an 8-7 advantage in shots, while both teams recorded three shots on goal. UMD committed five fouls to CSP's two, and each team received a yellow card.
In the second half, both teams continued to push forward as the physical play intensified. The teams played evenly, but four yellow cards were issued, along with a red card to Minnesota Duluth's Savannah Gieseke. The Golden Bears did a strong job defensively, limiting the Bulldogs' scoring opportunities.
CSP held strong through the physical play to secure a 2-0 victory over Minnesota Duluth.
The win improved CSP's all-time record against Minnesota Duluth to 7-18-3, with the Golden Bears winning six of the last seven meetings.
Ashley Bennett recorded the assist on Haase's second goal, earning her second assist of the season and eighth of her career. The assist moved Bennett into the top 20 on CSP's career assists list.
Senior goalkeeper
Sydney Potter made six saves to record her seventh shutout of the season, ranking second in the NSIC in shutouts.
Leading the CSP defense were
Maddison Balashaitis and
Morgan Bilczewski, who each played at least 85 minutes. Bilczewski has now played the full 90 minutes in nine consecutive matches for the Golden Bears.
Bennett, Haase and
Lexi Pettit each played more than 80 minutes in the midfield, with Pettit leading the group with 85 minutes.
Four Golden Bears recorded a shot on goal, led by Haase with four. Bennett added two, while Pettit and
Breanna Weilert each had one.
The Golden Bears will return to Sea Foam Stadium on Sunday to host Bemidji State at 1 p.m. in their final home game of the season.
