Box Score MANKATO, Minn. --- Minnesota State junior Bre Steele scored the match-tying goal in the 87th minute and top-seeded MSU defeated third-seeded Minnesota Duluth 3-2 in penalty kicks en route to capturing the 2013 NSIC/U.S. Bank Tournament Championship Sunday afternoon at The Pitch.
 
The 2-2 draw moves Minnesota State to 17-2-2 on the year as it earns its second NSIC tournament title in the past three years and third overall. The Purple and Gold are now 3-0 all-time in conference title matches and earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. Minnesota Duluth stands 15-4-1 overall and will await its fate when the national tournament field is announced tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., on NCAA.com.
 
Additionally, MSU extends its home unbeaten streak to 36 matches which is tied for the 12th-longest streak in NCAA DII history.
 
The Mavericks gained momentum early by notching the match's first goal less than five minutes in. Junior Emily Moris (Woodbury, Minn.) played a perfect corner kick to junior Sydney Temple (Madison, Wis.) on the right side of the box that Temple headed in for her second goal of the year.
 
However, it was Minnesota Duluth who would take a 2-1 lead into the intermission courtesy of a pair of goals by junior Maureen Stormont. In the 34th minute, junior Hannah Keil found Stormont in the top of the box, before she ripped a shot from 15 yards out that deflected off the hands of junior Molly McGough (Centennial, Colo) and into the right side. Less than six minutes later, McGough dove to her left to save the initial UMD shot; but the Mavericks were unable to clear the ball, and Stormont delivered her second marker of the match.
 
Minnesota State came out determined in the second half amassing an 11-3 advantage in shots and finally broke through in the 87th minute. Moris drilled a corner kick that was stopped by sophomore Marissa Rosa, but a rebound bounced to junior Bre Steele (Eagan, Minn.) who headed her first goal of the year into the net tying the contest at 2-2.
 
Neither team was able to find twine in two overtime periods sending the match to decisive penalty kicks. Moris and Temple scored on MSU's first two opportunities, before the two teams traded goals in the third round giving the Mavericks a 3-2 lead with two rounds to go. McGough took it from there for the Purple and Gold securing the tournament title with a pair of diving saves to deny both Bulldog shooters.
 
For the match, MSU owned advantages over UMD in shots (23-11), shots on goal (9-6), and corner kicks (11-1). Rosa tallied a match-high nine saves for the Bulldogs, while McGough recorded four of her own for the Mavericks.

Furthermore, senior Courtney Vallarelli (Eagan, Minn.), Moris, McGough, Temple and Steele all earned NSIC All-Tournament Team accolades with Steele garnering NSIC All-Tournament Team Most Valuable Player honors.
 
Fans are encouraged to join MSU when the NCAA Division II tournament field is announced tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., on NCAA.com. A viewing party will begin at 6:00 p.m., in TC 82 as the Mavericks are expected to garner the region's top seed and subsequent first-round bye.