BEMIDJI, Minn. — No. 7 Minnesota State (9-0-1, 6-0-1) defeated Bemidji State (4-3-3, 3-2-2) 1-0 on Friday at Chet Anderson Stadium. After a scoreless first half, MSU scored once in the second half and held Bemidji State without a goal. MSU finished with a 10-3 shot advantage, including 5-2 on goal, while
Lauren McAlpine continued her historic start with a ninth straight shutout.
Maddix Archer scored MSU's goal, recorded the game-winning goal and finished with four shots. Archer has scored at least one goal in three consecutive games.
Savanna Stockness recorded an assist on the Archer goal while McAlpine played all 90 minutes in goal, made two saves and recorded the shutout.
Archer took MSU's first two shots in the opening 10 minutes, while McAlpine answered Bemidji State's early chance with a save on Madisen Fritel in the ninth minute. MSU added back-to-back looks from
Addie Dobratz and
Reese Hilsenbeck just after the 20-minute mark, with Dobratz's shot saved and Hilsenbeck's attempt going wide, followed by an
Amara Smith shot that went over the net. The half grew more physical during MSU's attacking stretch. Despite the late corners and multiple saved shots off the feet of
Ruthie Gyasi and
Ella Huettl, MSU went into halftime scoreless with Bemidji State.
MSU broke through early in the second half when Archer scored at 49:41, moving the match from scoreless to a 1-0 MSU advantage. Bemidji State answered with a shot that went wide right, and MSU controlled the pace of play to keep the score 1-0. MSU added chances from
Abby Hoiska, whose shot was saved by Kropp, and Archer, who sent another attempt over the top, while several offside calls halted additional chances. McAlpine preserved the lead with a big late-game save on Sydney Sutherland's bottom-center shot in the 88th minute, as the half ended with MSU ahead 1-0, continuing their season long unbeaten streak.
The Mavericks outshot the Beavers 10-3 and 4-2 in shots on net while also having the only three corner kicks of the game.
Up next, the Minnesota State soccer team visits Minnesota Duluth on Sunday at 1 p.m. at James S. Malosky Stadium in Duluth, Minn to wrap up their northern Minnesota weekend road trip.
