CROOKSTON, MN – The University of Mary women's soccer team clinched home field for the first round of the Northern Sun tournament with a 3-0 win at the University of Minnesota Crookston.
With the victory the Marauders are guaranteed to finish no lower than second in the NSIC regular season standings. The opening round of the 8-team NSIC tournament is hosted on the campuses of the top four seeds on Monday, November 2. This will be the first time UMary has earned a home playoff game since 2008.
The NSIC semifinals and championship game will be held at the site of the top remaining seed following the first round of the tournament on November 6 & 8.
The victory extends the Marauders unbeaten string to 11 games, the longest unbeaten run for UMary since starting NCAA and NSIC play in 2006. The previous best was a 10-game streak in 2022.
UMary improves to 11-2-3 overall and 10-1-2 in the NSIC. With 32 points and two games left to play, the Marauders are two points out of first place. Minnesota State leads the conference with 34 points on an NSIC record of 11-1-1 with a mark of 14-1-1 overall.
The Marauders opened the scoring less than eight minutes into the match. Chasing down a long ball played into space by Mia Stretcha to the top of the 18,
Lily Schatz touched the ball once before delivering a withering drive into the top left of the net. It was the third goal of the year for the UMary freshman.
Less than four minutes later the Marauders struck again. Schatz, chasing down another ball played over the top, was turning the corner towards the goal inside the right side of the penalty box when she was fouled, earning UMary a penalty kick.
UMary turned the ball over to
Dina Polanco and the reigning Northern Sun Offensive Player of the Week delivered her league-leading 15
th goal of the season. The Guatemalan national team player is a perfect 5-for-5 this season from the penalty spot.
Polanco tied the UMary NCAA and NSIC program record for goals in a season, equaling the 15 scored by Megan Wilson in 2006.
Playing through rain most of the match,
Addison Massey closed the scoring with a blast from just outside the top of the penalty area at 66:57.
Cate Jesena and
Ivy Wessel earned assists on the goal.
The Marauders kept the Golden Eagles (0-11-5 overall, 0-10-3 NSIC) attack in check all game. UMC managed just three shots.
Kadyn Dilger picked up the clean sheet by stopping the two shots that were sent on frame.
UMary held the advantage in shots (11-3), shots on frame (9-2) and corner kicks (9-1).
The Marauders close out the weekend with a match at MSU Moorhead on Sunday, October 25, at 1 pm.
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