BY RYAN DEPAUW | Statesman Correspondent | The Statesman
Even when things are going well for the Bulldog soccer team, points are hard to come by.
Despite possibly playing their best weekend of the season the Bulldog soccer team only came out with three points. They look to keep their defense strong and their offensive efforts on the rise as they try to pick up some much-needed points at home against Wayne State on Saturday and a tough Augustana team Sunday.
The Bulldogs ended their scoring drought last weekend, scoring three goals in a shutout win Saturday against Sioux Falls. But their offensive woes returned Sunday when the Bulldogs were blanked by Southwest Minnesota State. The Bulldogs have fallen to No. 11 in the NSIC standings. They’re now 3-6-1 overall and 2-4-1 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference as they prepare to face an Augustana team who now ranks third in the standings and are undefeated in NSIC play.
Last Saturday the NSIC No. 11 ranked Bulldogs faced the Sioux Falls Cougars who rank near the bottom of the NSIC standings at No. 15. The Bulldogs took full advantage of the Cougars’ weak defense right away as junior Kailey Beatt scored her fourth goal of the season off a cross pass from junior Marissa Ganske in the sixth minute. They would tack on two more goals in the first half including an own goal by the Cougars off a corner kick as they went on to win 3-0.
"It was a good collective effort by everybody that played," head coach Greg Cane said. "Everybody had a significant role in that win."
This was the second time this season that the Bulldogs have scored three goals in a game, also doing so in a 3-0 victory against Northern Michigan earlier this season.
"Our attacking play can always get better," Cane said. "Most teams in our conference are defensive-minded teams. We need to break that down. We always like to tidy it up in the back, but through midfield and forward the finishing aspect is what's important."
On Sunday the Bulldogs continued their strong defensive efforts against Southwest Minnesota State. But UMD’s struggle to finish offensively again proved to be their downfall. A late goal by Mustangs’ Forward Jaci Finley was all they needed to upend the Bulldogs.
"We didn't get what we deserved today," Cane said. "We should have gotten at least a point with how well we played today. They got a fortunate play at the end of the game."
"Working together," captain Katie Peterson said. "That was the best aspect of the game on Saturday and on Sunday it was defending."
It was the fourth game this season where the Bulldogs have allowed a goal in the last 15 minutes of the game. Of those four games, two were one-goal losses and all four came in defeat.
"The scoreboard didn't tell us how well our team played,” Cane said. "The first half was the best half of soccer our team has played this season and the second half was a close second. Their top player didn't even get a shot on goal today. The defensive side of the game was fearless. We had some great chances right at the end of the game including a corner that didn't go in. They were a tough team to play but I thought we played really well."
It was the third time in four games the Bulldogs have been shutout and it’s their fourth time this season.
“We need to work on finishing, executing on our chances. Individually I need to take more changes up the field,” Peterson said. “Give accolades to our defense with their tightness and communication. They anchored the team and that radiated up and down the field.”