Bemidji State wraps up 2018 regular season with NSIC title in sight
The No. 8 Bemidji State University Soccer Team will put the wraps on the 2018 regular season this weekend hosting Minnesota State University Moorhead (3-12-0, 3-10-0 NSIC) at 4 p.m. Friday before making a road trip to Aberdeen, S.D. to battle Northern State University (8-7-1; 6-6-1 NSIC) in the regular-season finale at 1 p.m. Sunday. At 15-0-1 overall and 12-0-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play, the Beavers can clinch at least a share of its first regular-season NSIC title with a victory Friday.
The Beavers open the weekend of play riding a 16-match unbeaten streak (15-0-1), they are unbeaten in their last 32 NSIC matches (27-0-5), have a string of 21 consecutive matches where they have not been beaten, and carry an NSIC regular-season a 17-match road winning streak dating back to a 2-1 loss at Augustana Oct. 2016.
As one of only six undefeated NCAA Division II teams in the country, the Beavers open the week holding down a spot in the United Soccer Coaches national for the seventh consecutive week. This week BSU sits at No. 8, while they are No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches Central Regional poll.
Last week BSU pushed its record to 15-0-1 overall and 12-0-1 in league play as it went 1-0-1 versus NSIC competition. The Beavers earned a 3-0 victory at Wayne State College behind a five-point afternoon from the league’s top scorer, Rachael Norton. For the second time in three matches, BSU was pushed to overtime Sunday and earned a 0-0 draw at Augustana. Goalkeeper Anna Fobbe recorded her program single-season-best ninth shutout of the season in the match.
With 16 goals, BSU’s all-time scoring leader Rachael Norton leads the NSIC and ranks sixth in the nation in goal scoring, while her 2.44 points per game ranks 14th.
BSU is coming off a 2017 campaign during which it compiled an overall record of 15-1-4 and finished second in the NSIC standings owning a 12-0-3 mark in league play. At the conclusion of the regular season, BSU made its ninth consecutive appearance in the NSIC Tournament and earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
Under Jim Stone, who is in his 17th season at BSU, the Beavers returned a roster of 19 including seniors Rachael Norton (16 GP, 16G, 7A, 3GWG, 39 pts), the 2017 NSIC Offensive Player of the Year and all-region selection, and Anna Fobbe, a goalkeeper with a with a career 36-10-3 record to go with 20 shutouts. In addition, reigning NSIC Freshman of the Year, Allyson Smith (10 GP, 6 G, 5 A, 17 pts, 4 GWG) and all-region midfielder Nelson (14 GP, 5G, 4A, 14 pts) are back for 2018, while eight of the team’s top 10 scoring threats are back.