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Mason, Kroeten score to give SMSU soccer first win of season vs. UMC

CROOKSTON — After failing to pick up a win in its first six matches of the season, the Southwest Minnesota State University soccer team broke the schneid on Friday afternoon when it picked up a 2-0 road win over Minnesota Crookston in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. 

It took just six minutes for Haley Mason to score the game-winning goal for the Mustangs. She received the ball at the edge of the attacking third and threaded her way through the defense before firing off a shot facing the keeper one-on-one. Crookston goalkeeper Jordan Metz ran out of the net and flared out her left foot to block the shot, but Mason got the rebound and dribbled to the side before sending the ball into the back of the net for the SMSU lead.

The goal made Mason the first Mustang to score multiple goals this season. In her sophomore season last year, Mason tied Selena Prolic with a team-leading three goals.

Kylie Peters put the game away for the Mustangs in the 86th minute with her first collegiate goal. The junior midfielder had just one shot attempt in her Mustang career heading into the match. 

Peters’ goal was set up when UMC’s Kali Yates was called for a yellow card, giving SMSU a penalty kick near midfield. Dare Kroeten launched the ball from the spot down toward the goal line to the left of the outside post. Off one bounce, Peters recovered the ball and shot it to the far-side post to double the Mustang lead.

The goal gave Kroeten her first assist as a Mustang. The senior forward scored four goals last season but no assists. She played her first two college seasons at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa before transferring to SMSU. 

The win marked a dramatic uptick in offensive production for the Mustangs, who had scored two goals all season heading into the match. Prior to last Sunday’s match against Minot State, SMSU hadn’t fired off more than five shots on goal in a game this year. After getting off six in the first half of their 1-0 loss to the Beavers on Sunday, the Mustangs continued to trend in the right direction with 11 shots on goal in Friday’s win.

Crookston outshot SMSU 21-17 in the match, including 12 shots on target to SMSU’s 11, but goalkeeping made a major difference for the Mustangs. Rachel Hicks posted her second clean sheet of the season and first win of the year in goal for the Mustangs. She stood on her head between the posts, finishing with 12 saves for her second-highest mark of the season behind a 13-save performance in a 3-0 loss to West Florida.

On Friday, however, she had two that were on target and one that found the back of the net.

The Golden Eagles played chippy in the second half of the game, in which they were called for seven of their eight fouls in the match. Yates and Emmah Burnes were both handed yellow cards in the final seven minutes of play for Crookston.

Haley Mason was given a yellow card in the 53rd minute. SMSU was called for two penalties on the day, one in each half. 

Now in the win column, SMSU improves its record to 1-6-1 on the season with Friday’s result. The Mustangs’ 1-2-1 conference record puts them in a tie with Minot State and Minnesota Duluth for ninth place in the 15-team conference. 

SMSU will aim to continue its ascent up the standings on Sunday when it goes on the road to face seventh-place Bemidji State (4-3, 2-1 NSIC) at 1 p.m.

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