Cougars battle but fall to #2 Minnesota State

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (USF) – The University of Sioux Falls Soccer team capped off Cougar Days and Alumni Day with a hard-fought effort against No. 2 Minnesota State, ultimately falling 3-0 Sunday afternoon at Bob Young Field in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

THE BASICS

• Score: No. 2 Minnesota State 3, Sioux Falls 0
• Records: Sioux Falls 4-4-1 (2-3-1 NSIC), Minnesota State 8-0-1 (6-0-0 NSIC)
• Location: Bob Young Field – Sioux Falls, S.D.
• Attendance: 146

HOW IT HAPPENED

Facing one of the nation’s top-ranked programs, the Cougars stayed organized defensively through much of the opening half. Goalkeeper Delani Daubman turned away multiple early attempts before Minnesota State broke through in the 37th minute as Marin Johnson finished off a pass from Amara Smith for a 1-0 lead.

Sioux Falls created a few promising moments in transition, including shots from Mariah Siem and Addison Van Zee, but could not find the equalizer.

In the second half, the Mavericks extended their lead when Maddix Archer scored in the 55th minute, followed by Avery Korsching’s strike in the 84th minute to seal the result. Despite the deficit, the Cougars continued to battle, forcing Minnesota State keeper Lauren McAlpine to make two saves in the half.

HEAD COACH SAID

“We knew this would be a big test for us and we welcomed it with open arms. The opportunity to compete against one of the top programs in the country year after year was always going to be a great measuring stick of our progress so far and where we have to go next to keep going forward. 

There were so many aspects of the game we executed at a high level. Ultimately, when you play a top team, the margin for error is small and though we did not make a lot of mistakes the Mavericks did what championship level teams do and capitalized on the few we did make.

All in all, this match will just give us more clarity and motivation to keep working toward our goals and making the improvements to reach them. 

Even though the result was not in our favor it was amazing to experience the big game buzz inside The Bob today. We welcomed 11 alumnae back on campus which was phenomenal and overall the size and passion of the crowd was something you could feel. We have great fans and hopefully we give them enough reason to keep showing up in numbers and backing us with their vocal support.”

– Head Coach, Joe DeMay

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Shots: Minnesota State 12 | Sioux Falls 4
• Shots on Goal: Minnesota State 8 | Sioux Falls 2
• Saves: Sioux Falls 5 (Daubman) | Minnesota State 2
• Corners: Minnesota State 3 | Sioux Falls 2
• Fouls: Sioux Falls 14 | Minnesota State 13
• Yellow Cards: USF – 2 (Kate Murphy 51′, Team 54′); MSU – 1 (Savanna Stockness 57′)

KEY COUGARS

• Delani Daubman – Five first-half saves to keep USF close against the nation’s No. 2 team.
• Mariah Siem – Two shots on goal to lead the Cougars offensively.
• Abby Flanagan – Anchored the backline while logging 90 minutes defensively.
• Chloe Wilson & Kate Murphy – Physical defensive presence against a relentless Maverick attack.

UP NEXT

Sioux Falls hits the road next week for a pair of NSIC matches, beginning Friday, October 10 at Concordia-St. Paul before traveling to Minnesota State Moorhead on Sunday, October 12.

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