MARSHALL, Minn. - The Concordia-St. Paul soccer team (7-3-6, 6-3-4 NSIC) kicked off its three-game road swing with a 1-0 victory over Southwest Minnesota State (2-11-3, 2-9-2 NSIC) on Friday night at Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
Following the game, head coach
Steve Bellis said, "A road win feels good. We created way more chances than the scoreboard shows, and we can improve on that for Sunday."
The win marked the Golden Bears' 10th consecutive victory over the Mustangs in the all-time series.
CSP's defense led the way, holding the Mustangs to four shots and zero shots on goal. It marked the second time this season the Golden Bears have held an opponent without a shot on goal.
CSP controlled the game throughout, holding advantages in shots (28-4), shots on goal (8-0) and corner kicks (12-3).
In the first half, the Golden Bears applied pressure in the offensive end and created several scoring opportunities. CSP opened the scoring in the 20th minute when a free kick from
Brooke Nelson was deflected into the net by a Southwest Minnesota State defender for an own goal, giving CSP a 1-0 lead.
The Golden Bears held a 16-2 advantage in shots in the first half, including a 5-0 edge in shots on goal and a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks. CSP also held SMSU without a shot on goal in the first half, marking the second time of the season.
CSP carried its momentum into the second half, continuing to create scoring opportunities while looking to extend its 1-0 lead. The Golden Bears generated several chances in the attacking third but were unable to find the back of the net again, maintaining their one-goal advantage through the final whistle.
CSP improves to 17-11-1 all-time against the Mustangs, winning the last ten meetings.
Leading the Concordia defense were
Maddison Balashaitis and
Morgan Bilczewski, who each played 80 minutes in the win.
The Golden Bears held the Mustangs to four shots, marking the second consecutive game in which CSP allowed fewer than six shots on goal.
CSP recorded 28 shots, led by
Lexi Pettit's season-high nine shots. It marked the third time this season CSP has recorded 25 or more shots in a game.
Senior goalkeeper
Sydney Potter faced four shots on the day, earning her 27th career shutout.
The Golden Bears will continue play on the road Sunday, facing Sioux Falls at 1 p.m. at Bob Young Field.
