Beavers host Minnesota Crookston to wrap up regular season
The No. 6 Bemidji State University soccer team will wrap up its 2021 regular season Friday when it hosts the University of Minnesota Crookston at Chet Anderson Stadium for a 2 p.m. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matchup. A victory in the match will secure the Beavers’ second NSIC regular season title and set a program record by stretching its unbeaten streak to 21 matches.
The Beavers were unbeaten in 20 matches, from Nov. 10, 2017 to Nov. 11, 2018, en route to the team’s first NSIC crown.
The Beavers are 15-0-2 overall and own a 12-0-2 conference record to sit atop the league standings. BSU is led by Sara Wendt, who is tied for sixth in the country in goal scoring with a new career-best 16, which includes a nation’s-best seven game-winning goals, and an assist. Allyson Smith is second on the team with 18 points on five goals and eight assists, while she has accounted for three game-winners. Newcomer Mason Schilling has netted nine points (3g-3a) in BSU’s last five matches to sit third on the team in scoring with 12 points (4g-4a). Alyssa Stumbaugh, the reigning NSIC Goalkeeper of the Week, has played the majority of the time (1203:12) and is 13-0-1 with a 0.52 goals allowed average and .868 save percentage with seven shutouts. She opens the weekend riding a 318:54 shutout streak. She is second in the NSIC in goals-against average, third in save percentage, tied for third in shutouts, and has backstopped a BSU defensive unit that is second in the league allowing just 0.65 goals per game.
The Beavers are tied for third in the NSIC averaging 2.24 goals per game, while their +1.64 scoring margin is second only to Minnesota State (1.88).
Bemidji State enters the match owning a 24-5-1 all-time record versus the Golden Eagles dating back to the first meeting between the teams Sept. 5, 1997. The Beavers are 11-2-1 all-time when hosting UMC and have rattled off 18 consecutive wins in the series dating back to an Oct. 22, 2003, 2-1 victory over the Golden Eagles. The last time the teams met, BSU got goals from Erin Becker, Sara Wendt, and Maggie Cade, while the defensive unit posted a shutout allowing just five shots, and none of them made it to goalkeeper Emma Reidi.
Minnesota Crookston enters the final week of play at 1-15-0 overall and 1-12-0 versus NSIC competition. The Golden Eagles will also host St. Cloud State University Tuesday to replace an Oct. 8 match postponed due to lightning. UMC has managed just four goals this season while surrendering 66. Morgan Laplant has two of UMC’s four goals, while Abby Fettinger is second on the team netting three points on a goal and an assist. Jaqueline Calderon leads all Golden Eagles with two assists. Abby Olson has started 13 matches in net for UMC. She is 1-10-0 overall with a 3.83 goals-against average and a .720 save percentage. She leads the NSIC with 113 saves and is second in the league averaging 8.69 stop per match.