MATTHEWS, N.C. – In their first NCAA Division II National Championship appearance, Minnesota State soccer fell 2-1 to Cal Poly Pomona Sunday at Sportsplex at Matthews. The historic season for Head Coach
Brian Bahl and the Mavericks concluded after the Broncos scored the eventual game-winning goal on a penalty kick in the 46th minute.
Minnesota State finished the season 18-2-7 overall after winning regular and postseason conference championships. The Mavericks' postseason continued wins over No. 1 Central Missouri in the Central Region Championship, then No. 1 seed Columbus State in the NCAA Semifinals. MSU's 23-game unbeaten streak ended in Matthews.
The Broncos earned the first NCAA Championship in program history and closed the year with a 22-1-2 record.
After a pair of Cal Poly Pomona shots on goal in the opening minutes, MSU's
Courtney Kovacs struck for her second goal of the season to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead at 8:38. CPP goalkeeper Bella Hara punched out
Avery Korsching's corner cross at the near post. Kovacs measured the bounce and floated a right-footed kick to her right, over traffic to give MSU the lead. Korsching was credited with her sixth assist.
Tara Oper evened the score for the Broncos at 22:20. Oper's pass toward a pair of players in front of
Clare Longueville missed both and rolled into the bottom right corner of the goal. Georgia Rink assisted.
Vanessa Cruz sailed a free kick over the goal two minutes later from the top of the box for Cal Poly Pomona.
Lucy Weninger stepped in front of Liberty Ortiz's shot on the back post in the 43
rd minute to avert the high-danger chance. The Broncos led 5-1 in shots on goal at halftime with a 13-1 edge in shots attempted.
Weninger's contact with Marisa Salazar at the top of the box was called a foul at 46:05. Salazar pushed it past Longueville's outstretched arms to the left corner on the ensuing penalty kick to make it 2-1.
The Mavericks fought back.
Maddix Archer hit the bend of the goal frame five minutes later, but the ball stayed out. Then Korsching launched a shot from a distance but it clipped the top of the bar and sailed over. Salazar also found iron with a 20-yard strike in the 76
th minute for CPP.
Kelsey Heller earned a corner for the Mavericks with under 10 minutes left in regulation but Bella Anderson knocked it away at the near post for the Broncos. Archer mounted a final low shot on goal for the Mavericks with under two minutes to play but Hara hugged the save on the second bounce.
Cal Poly Pomona outshot the Mavericks 7-4 in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.