Mankato, Minn. --- The No. 13 Minnesota State soccer team completed its fourth straight shutout with a 3-0 victory over No. 4 Central Missouri in the Central Region Final of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at SCHEELS Field in the Maverick All-Sports Dome.
The top-seeded Mavericks (19-3-1) won their second match of the season over the second-seeded Jennies after winning 2-0 on Sept. 13 in the regular season. Minnesota State advances to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2012 season.
The first half went scoreless as the Mavericks led in shots by a 12-4 margin over the Jennies, including 6-1 in shots on net. Minnesota State went on to score three second half goals in the 62nd, 74th and 88th minutes to defeat Central Missouri. The first goal came on a corner kick as sophomore
Brynn Desens sent the ball towards the back post and senior
Alesha Duccini, headed the ball into low left corner for her fourth goal of the season. Desens' assist was her 14th this season, which ties
Emily Moris (2014) for the most assists in a single season at Minnesota State. Desens then went on to score the next to goals of the Mavericks, bringing her point total to five in the match. The first goal came from just outside the top right corner of the box as she bent it into the top left corner of the goal for her ninth goal of the season, with the assist going to sophomore
Kelly Friedrich. The second goal of the game and 10th of the season came on a penalty kick after sophomore
Jenny Vetter was taken down in the box.
Senior
Alexa Rabune (17-2-1) earned her 10th sole shutout of the season, the 28th of her career, after making eight saves in the win. Senior
Taylor Kenealy played her 90th career match at MSU, which ties
Emily Moris (2011-14) for the most all-time.
Minnesota State finished with a 21-17 shot advantage, including a 13-8 lead in shots on goal. The Mavericks also had seven corner kicks to the Jennies fourth in the match.
The Mavericks will now host face the Midwest Region Champion, the No. 2 Grand Valley State Lakers, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. The match will be moved from The Pitch to SCHEELS Field in the Maverick All-Sports Dome on Sunday, with the match still beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Head coach
Brian Bahl, Desens, Duccini and Kenealy commented following the match.
