ST. CLOUD, Minn. - It’s not yet Senior Day for the Bemidji State University soccer team, but two of the three elder Beavers didn’t feel like waiting two more weeks to make a little history.

Katherine Wheeler (Sr., Bemidji, Minn.) scored her first-career goal and Lauren Olivares (Sr., El Paso, Texas) moved into the top 10 on BSU’s career scoring list with her third goal of the season, and the Beavers kept their playoff hopes alive with a huge 2-1 victory over St. Cloud State University Sunday afternoon. Bemidji State snapped SCSU’s four-game win streak, which included three shutouts and an overtime win Saturday against the University of Minnesota Duluth.

The win couldn’t have come at a better time, as Bemidji State continues to hold on to hopes of a playoff berth come seasons’ end. The Beavers are currently 9-5 overall and 3-5 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action, and are tied with Concordia University-St. Paul for ninth place in the conference. The top eight make the NSIC Tournament at the end of the regular season, and BSU has five conference games remaining to jump up and nab one of those spots.

St. Cloud State (7-5, 5-3 NSIC) was the aggressor for the majority of Sunday’s game, taking 23 shots (nine on goal) to BSU’s 10 (six on goal), but the Huskies could only find the back of the net on one occasion. The home team also attempted 10 corner kicks, while Bemidji State only had one.

The game couldn’t have started any better for the Beavers, as they fended off four first-half shots and six corners en route to a 0-0 tie at intermission.

Then, after intense pressure from the Huskie attack, the road squad got the ball into SCSU territory in the 65th minute for what proved costly for the home team.

Bemidji State was awarded a free kick 35 yards away from St. Cloud State’s net, and Olivares took it. She sent the ball into the penalty box, and it bounced around until it found the foot of Wheeler, who had just checked in for the first time less than three minutes earlier. The senior took a touch around a defender and struck her first collegiate goal (and point) on her fourth-career shot on goal.

BSU had a 1-0 advantage, but the team would need an insurance goal if it wanted to leave St. Cloud with a crucial conference win.

Olivares gave the Beavers exactly that when she was fouled inside the 18-yard box in the 86th minute and was awarded her third penalty kick of the season. Without her, Bemidji State might be winless in conference play this year, because she has converted on all three of her penalty-kick opportunities, and all three have been game-winners. In fact, all three conference wins for the Beavers have come thanks to game-winning penalty kicks from Olivares.

Unfortunately for BSU, the home team was not going down without a fight. Kyrsten Flynn-Wallace scored her fifth goal of the season in the final minute of play, and St. Cloud State was able to avoid the shutout. The zero on the scoreboard would have been extra sweet, but the Beavers will take the win.

Goalkeeper Samantha Ross (So., Stillwater, Minn.) picked up her ninth win of the season, saving eight shots and allowing just the one goal.

Coach Jim Stone started a lineup that he hasn’t used all season, as defender Alysha Domiano (So., Dayton, Minn.) started as a center midfielder for the first time in her career and forward Jenny Stromberg (So., Elk River, Minn.) started her first game of the season, playing as an outside midfielder. The back line for BSU comprised of usual starters Linsey Olesiak (Jr., Hermantown, Minn.), Maddie Pletta (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) and Kari McAllen (Fr., Fargo, N.D.), while Kelly Pointon (Fr., Woodbury, Minn.) made just her second-career start in place of Domiano. This was the first time this year these four started together on the back line.

Olivares moves into a tie with Megan Wallner (2004-07) for eighth place in school history with her 11th career goal, and she has now entered the top-10 in career points. She is tied for ninth with Ashley Lehmeier (2003-06) and Christina Hicks (2004-07) with 30 career points.

The win over St. Cloud State gives BSU a 2-5 all-time record against the Huskies, with both wins coming in the last two meetings.

Also to note, during conference play this season Bemidji State is 0-4 in the first game of weekend series’, but is 3-1 in the second game of weekends.

The road doesn’t get any easier for Bemidji State, as Northern State University (8-6, 4-3 NSIC) and the University of Mary (7-7, 6-1 NSIC) come to town next weekend. The Beavers take on the Wolves Oct. 18 and will play the Marauders Oct. 19 with both games beginning at 1 p.m. Northern State is on a two-game win streak, scoring seven goals and only allowing one in that span, while U-Mary is third in the conference, winning its last four games and shutting out its last two opponents. The Marauders’ only conference loss was to No. 16 Minnesota State University, Mankato, and they have won seven of their last eight games.

 

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