ALLENDALE, Mich. (GVSU Soccer Field) – On a day full of near-misses for the Bemidji State University soccer team, the Beavers saw their record-setting season come to an abrupt end in the NCAA Division II Tournament's round of 16. The No. 3 Beavers fell to top-seeded Jennies, 4-1, after establishing a program record for wins, its longest unbeaten streak, and making an appearance in the post-season event's third round for the first time in program history.

Bemidji State caught three posts and a crossbar, while two other attempts rolled just wide of the goal on a day when it managed to find the back of the net one time.

The Jennies put BSU in a hole early. Just four minutes in, UCM's Ashleigh Martin found Sydney Leslie at the top of the 18, and UCM's second-leading scorer lofted her 16th goal of the season over the BSU goaltender, Alyssa Stumbaugh.

After attempts from Mason Schilling and then Allyson Smith rung off the posts, Central Missouri stretched its lead to 2-0. A corner kick by the Jennies rattled around in front of the goal and was touched by five different players before it was booted in by Isa Yanes in the 36th minute.

UCM finished the first half with an 8-6 edge in shots and a 3-0 advantage in shots on goal. The Jennies also held a 4-1 lead in corner kicks. 

BSU dominated play to open the second half. Smith hit her second post of the match early and when BSU pressure generated a corner kick in the 56th minute, a UCM defender's attempt to clear was poked back into the net to get BSU on the board. Mariah Stocke was credited with her first collegiate goal after corralling the loose ball and pushing it past the Jennies' goalkeeper, Sydney Daris.

Central Missouri got the goal back just moments later. Martin worked the ball toward the center of the field across the top of the box and struck the ball with her right foot just over Stumbaugh's outstretched hand and under the crossbar.

The Jennies added a penalty-kick goal in the 87th minute off the foot of Kassie Newsom. 

Stumbaugh was the goalkeeper of record for the Beavers. She surrendered just her second loss of the season and dipped to 17-2-2. 

Bemidji State completed its 2021 campaign at 19-2-3 overall.

Central Missouri will advance to face the Midwest Regional Champion at noon Sunday in the NCAA Division II national quarterfinal. The Midwest Regional title will be settled between top-seeded Grand Valley State University and the 6 seed Saginaw Valley State University at 1 p.m. today. The match will be played at the GVSU Soccer Field.

The NCAA Tournament will run through Dec. 11 with the semifinals and championship held in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Nestled in Northern Minnesota's wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, respectively, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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