Concordia University St. Paul Athletics

Mankato, Minn. - The Concordia-St. Paul soccer team (5-2-5, 4-2-3 NSIC) fell 3-0 on the road to No. 7 Minnesota State (10-1-1, 7-1-1 NSIC) on a sunny Friday afternoon at The Pitch.

The 4-0 loss marked the most goals allowed by the Golden Bears this season and the first time they have conceded more than one goal in a match. 

CSP opened the match looking to upset No. 7 Minnesota State, but the Mavericks struck early to take control. Amara Smith opened the scoring in the 15th minute off an assist from Mila Rustin. Just over a minute later, Rustin found the back of the net off an assist from Smith to double the lead. Maddix Archer scored the third goal in the 22nd minute off Smith's second assist of the half to give Minnesota State a 3-0 advantage. Despite the deficit, the Golden Bears continued to create a few solid scoring opportunities of their own.

Minnesota State held a 10-7 advantage in shots and a 4-3 edge in shots on goal. The Mavericks also earned four corner kicks, while CSP did not record a corner kick. The Golden Bears committed four fouls compared to seven by Minnesota State.

In the second half, CSP looked to bounce back and cut into Minnesota State's three-goal lead. The Golden Bears pushed to get on the scoreboard multiple times throughout the half, but Anna Stromberg scored in the 82nd minute to extend the Mavericks' lead to 4-0.

The Golden Bears continued to push until the final whistle but ultimately fell 4-0.

The game was relatively even in statistics, with Minnesota State holding an 18-16 advantage. The Mavericks recorded a 9-6 edge in shots on goal, while CSP goalkeeper Sydney Potter made five saves. Minnesota State held an 8-4 advantage in corner kicks, and the Golden Bears committed 11 fouls compared to 15 by the Mavericks.

CSP falls to 2-24-2 all-time against Minnesota State, with the Golden Bears' last win over the Mavericks coming on Nov. 6, 2023. 

Sophia Haase led the Golden Bears with five shots, including two shots on goal in the loss.

Lexi Pettit recorded two shots, both on goal, while Brooke Nelson added three shots, including one on goal.

Leading the CSP defense were Maddison Balashaitis and Morgan Bilczewski, who each played the full 90 minutes. The match marked Bilczewski's seventh consecutive full 90-minute outing.

The Golden Bears return home to Sea Foam Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 11, to host St. Cloud State at 1 p.m.