Beaver Soccer returns home and hosts Minot State and Mary
BSU Women’s Soccer hopes to keep five-match winning streak intact against Beavers and Marauders
The Bemidji State University Women’s Soccer team makes its return to Chet Anderson Stadium this weekend for a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matches against Minot State University and University of Mary, Friday and Sunday.
The Beavers will be wearing pink jerseys to help support Breast Cancer Awareness while also hosting their annual Cheryl Smith Memorial game Sunday.
The Beavers (8-3-0, 6-1-0 NSIC) aim to extend their five-match winning streak this weekend by first hosting the annual “Beaver Battle” between the BSU and Minot State Friday at 5:00 p.m. Bemidji State continues the weekend’s action Sunday by hosting the Marauders at 1:00 p.m.
Both matches will be streamed online at www.NSICNetwork.com/bsubeavers with play-by-play audio provided by the Beaver Radio Network.
The Beavers bring a five-match winning streak into the weekend which is tied for the fourth longest active winning streak in DII Women’s Soccer. Bemidji State sits second in the NSIC standings entering the weekend with a conference winning percentage of .857. The Mavericks from Minnesota State University, Mankato hold the top spot with a league record of 7-0-1 (.938).
Minot State travels to Bemidji with a record of 4-2-4 and are ninth in the league standings with a 2-2-3 (.500) record in NSIC play. Mary sits one spot behind the Beavers third in the conference standings and are 4-1-2 (.714) in league play and 6-2-2 overall.
Bemidji State is coming off back-to-back shutouts on the road at Northern State University and Minnesota State University, Moorhead last weekend. The Beavers have allowed just one goal over their last five matches and just three goals in conference play. BSU is outscoring league opponents 13-3 and is tied with Minnesota State for the fewest goals allowed in league play (3).
The Beavers are led by the top scorer in the NSIC in junior Katrina Barthelt. In 11 matches she has scored a league-high seven goals while also producing a league-high 38 shots and 19 shots on goal. She has totaled a NSIC leading 16 points from seven goals and two assists and is tied for 31st in DII Women’s Soccer in total goals.
Barthelt is followed by freshman Madisen Fritel who has two goals and two assists while coming off the bench in all 11 matches this season. Sophomore Madeline Davey has added two goals while a total of 12 Beavers have scored a goal this season for a balanced attack.
On the backline, freshman Maggie Kramer leads the team with 846 minutes on the pitch this season. She has earned two assists from the centerback position and is coming off a week of earning her first career NSIC weekly accolade after she was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week.
She is joined by redshirt junior Emma Huelsnitz who has logged 829 minutes on the pitch. She has added a goal and assist from the defensive midfield position and has started all 11 matches.
The Beavers’ defense is one of the stingiest in the NSIC allowing just 22 shots on goal in conference play which is tied for the lowest amount with Minnesota State.
Graduate goalkeeper Sonia Alfieri has stood tall in between the posts for the Beavers this season. She has been the keeper of record in all 11 matches and is fourth in the NSIC with a .846 save percentage and fifth with a .600 goals against average. She is tied for the conference lead with five shutouts on the season which is also tied for the 26th most in DII.