BEMIDJI, Minn. - It could have been the rainy, wet conditions at the BSU Soccer Field, or maybe it was just an off day, but whatever it was, the Bemidji State University soccer team couldn’t find a way to get rid of the pesky Dragons of Minnesota State University, Moorhead Friday evening.

The Beavers came out of the gates firing, notching a goal in the opening minute of action. They even got ahead 3-1 at one point, but, for the second-consecutive game, BSU let an early lead slip away, falling 4-3 to the Dragons. The team now sits at 6-3 overall and 0-3 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action after losing its third-consecutive game, and its first at home this year.

Jamie Ford (Jr., Edina, Minn.) scored a goal just 45 seconds into the game off a pass from Lauren Olivares (Sr., El Paso, Texas). Olivares fired a pass into the penalty box from the left side near the corner-kick area, and Ford was waiting to collect the pass and rifle it into the right side of the net. The MSUM goalkeeper was shielded due to heavy traffic in the box, and was unable to see Ford’s shot.

If one wasn’t enough, Ford got herself some more points by striking a goal in the 20th minute to give BSU a 2-0 lead. She and Analey Skog (Fr., St. Francis, Minn.) were battling with multiple Dragon defenders and the goalkeeper for a loose ball that had made its way into the six-yard box. Skog eventually won the ball on the left side of the box and touched it to Ford who was moving into position to give herself a clean look at the net. She found exactly what she was looking for, and was able to shoot the ball into the upper right corner of the net.

It didn’t take long for the Dragons to answer. Actually, it took less than three minutes. In the 23rd minute, Jena Reed took a shot that went past BSU goalkeeper Samantha Ross (So., Stillwater, Minn.) and cut the Beaver lead in half.

That was alright, however, because BSU was still ahead in the game and looked to be in total control.

Just in case the one-goal advantage wasn’t enough, forward Jenny Stromberg (So., Elk River, Minn.) added an insurance goal in the 32nd minute to give Bemidji State some breathing room. Midfielders Kelly Hyvare (Sr., Coon Rapids, Minn.) and Kara Smyth (So., Cary, Ill.) were handling the ball 25 yards away from the MSUM net on the right side of the field. Hyvare touched a pass back to Smyth, who had time to fire a pass into the goalkeeper box. After one bounce in the middle of the field 18 yards away from the net, Ashlee Ellefsen (So., Hugo, Minn.) headed a pass directly to Stromberg, who had gotten behind the Dragon defense and was streaking towards the net. The finesse pass used by Ellefsen stunned the Moorhead defense, which gave Stromberg enough time to beat the goalkeeper one-on-one, and BSU had itself a 3-1 lead heading into halftime.

Well, at least that seemed like what would happen. That was until Katherine Adams notched a goal in the 35th minute to cut the lead to 3-2. After 10 minutes of shutout soccer, the most frantic first-half of play for BSU this season ended.

In the 48th minute, the Bemidji State defense made a costly error that proved fatal. After a ball had gotten deep in BSU territory, Linsey Olesiak (Jr., Hermantown, Minn.) tried to clear the ball away from the penalty area. Unfortunately, her clear attempt deflected off Reed and into the top right corner of the net for a fluke goal, tying the game at 3.

BSU seemed slightly deflated after the goal, and allowed Katie Hiemstra to score another goal in the 81st minute. The Beavers were never able to regain their composure, and they lost the game to an MSUM (4-3-0, 1-2-0 NSIC) squad they had already beaten earlier this season.

Ross struggled to find her footing in goal for BSU, and she let in more goals in this game than she has in a single game during her year-and-a-half career as a Beaver. She saved six shots and gave up the four markers in 90 minutes of action.

The Dragons outshot BSU 10-8, while the Beavers led in corner kicks 4-2.

The last time Bemidji State had a three-game losing streak in the regular season was in 2004.

The Beavers will look to regain their winning ways and capture their first conference game of the season Sunday, when they take on the University of Minnesota, Crookston. The game will begin at 1 p.m. and will be held at the BSU Soccer Field.

 

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