MINOT, N.D. - The Concordia-St. Paul soccer team (3-1-3, 2-1-1) closed out its road trip to North Dakota with a 2-0 victory over Minot State (2-5, 1-3) on Sunday afternoon at First Western Bank Field at Herb Parker Stadium.
Following the game, head coach
Steve Bellis stated, "Our first-half performance was fantastic. We saw the CSP soccer identity come through more clearly and scored two cracking goals off the back of that. We dealt with a tricky Minot State team in the second half and felt we deserved the win on the road today."
Bellis added, "I'm very proud of the entire squad for bouncing back from Friday's tough result. We're excited to get back to Sea Foam next weekend and build on today's performance."
The win marked the Golden Bears' first road NSIC victory of the season after falling to UMary on Friday.
Sophia Haase and
Brooke Nelson highlighted the day for the Navy and Gold, each scoring a goal. Haase's goal moved her into the NSIC lead with six goals on the season, while Nelson recorded her first goal of the year.
CSP controlled the game throughout, holding advantages in shots (15-7) and shots on goal (6-4), while Minot State held a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.
In the first half, the Golden Bears set the pace and created several scoring opportunities.
Sophia Haase opened the scoring in the 17th minute, working past multiple defenders before finishing a pass from
Lexi Pettit to give CSP a 1-0 lead. Nine minutes later,
Brooke Nelson doubled the lead, converting a penalty kick in the 26th minute to put the Golden Bears ahead 2-0.
The Golden Bears held a 10-2 shot advantage in the first half, including a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal.
CSP carried its momentum into the second half, looking to close out the road trip on a high note. Minot State applied pressure and recorded five shots, including three on goal, while holding a 5-4 advantage in corner kicks. However, the Golden Bears stayed composed and continued to battle defensively.
Sydney Potter and the CSP defense held strong against the Beavers' pressure, keeping Minot State off the scoreboard in the second half. The Golden Bears locked down defensively to secure the 2-0 victory and close out their North Dakota road trip.
CSP improves to 6-8-4 all-time against the Beavers, winning three of the last four meetings.
Lexi Pettit recorded the assist on Haase's goal, marking her third of the season. The assist puts Pettit in second place in the NSIC and first on the team in assists.
Senior goalkeeper
Sydney Potter recorded three saves on the day, earning her 22nd career shutout.
Three different Golden Bears recorded three or more shots in the match, led by
Sophia Haase with four.
Ashley Bennett and
Brooke Nelson each recorded three shots. Haase and Nelson also tied for the team lead with two shots on goal apiece.
On the defensive side of the pitch,
Maddison Balashaitis and
Morgan Bilczewski led the team in minutes played, each playing the full 90 minutes while helping hold the Beavers to seven shots.
The Golden Bears will return to Sea Foam Stadium next weekend, hosting Augustana on Friday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. and Wayne State on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m.
