JACKRABBITS DEFEAT PIOS IN LEAGUE SEMIFINALS

Thursday, November 7

Fargo, N.D.

12 p.m.

South Dakota State University

14-4-2, 5-2-1

Denver

11-6-2, 5-1-2

South Dakota St.

Denver

11/7/2024 3:42:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Andrew Pedersen

FARGO, N.D. — South Dakota State earned a 2-1 victory over Denver in The Summit League Women's Soccer Championship Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Dacotah Field to advance to the tournament championship match.

The rematch between the Jackrabbits and Pioneers, on the North Dakota State campus, came exactly two weeks after Denver claimed a 2-1 win over SDSU in Brookings.

The Jacks came out aggressive recording two shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes, while keeping the Pioneer attack at bay, and eventually was rewarded with a penalty kick when Hailee Christensen was fouled in the box in the 29th minute. SDSU jumped into the early lead as defender Kaycee Manding stepped up for the penalty kick and converted on the opportunity, giving the Jacks a 1-0 advantage.

Denver's Payten Ivins, who scored the game-winner at Fishback Soccer Park in the previous meeting, narrowly missed on a pair of equalizers in the final minutes of the first half. SDSU took a one-goal lead into the halftime break while holding a 5-0 edge in shots on goal.

South Dakota State scored the eventual match-clinching goal in the 61st minute.

An initial shot by Christensen was saved by Denver's Molly Wissman. The goalkeeper's save deflected high into the air right in front of the goal. Jackrabbit midfielder Avery LeBlanc waited for the ball to land and she booted a right-footed shot into the net to push SDSU ahead 2-0.

The Jackrabbit defense worked to maintain the two-goal margin as the Pioneers racked up two yellow cards and three offside calls in pursuit of a goal of its own.

Denver was able to cut the deficit to one in the 89th minute as Jadyn Goodrich scored to make it 2-1. The Pioneers recorded two more shots in the waning moments, but SDSU was able to hold off any equalizing attempts and closed the match out with a 2-1 victory.

The win for the Jackrabbits advanced the squad to the championship tilt Sunday. SDSU will play in The Summit League Tournament title match for the third time in four seasons.

"They stayed in the moment," said SDSU head coach Brock Thompson. "They believe in themselves and trusted in what we tried to do as a team. I'm just really proud of them."

South Dakota State trailed in shots on the day by a 14-12 margin, however had an 8-2 edge in shots on goal. SDSU's back line, led by 90-minute efforts from Manding, Hayley Lindaman and Lauren Eckerle, didn't allow a shot on goal by the Pioneers until the 72nd minute.

"I thought our team did an exceptional job of when the moment we recovered the ball, of playing the right pass to the right person," Thompson said. "I thought that really helped us. It helped us keep the ball where we wanted to have it and made it a little bit easier for us to defend when we lost it."

Katherine Jones had a team-high three shots and two shots on goal for the Jackrabbits. Manding recorded her third goal of the season. Christensen was credited with an assist on the second goal, while LeBlanc's goal was the fifth of the year. LeBlanc played an SDSU-high 34 minutes as a reserve followed by Solala Nasu (33) and Ellie Gusman (31). Leckwold made the lone save in goal for the Jacks.

NOTES

South Dakota State improved to 14-4-2 on the season while Denver's season ended at 11-6-2. The Jackrabbits are now 2-0-3 against the Pioneers in the conference tournament all-time which includes two wins via penalty kicks.
SDSU is now 8-5-3 in the semifinal round of The Summit League Championship.
The Jackrabbits will play in their ninth conference tournament title match. SDSU is 4-1-3 all-time in the championship, with all three ties being won by penalty kick. The Jackrabbits have claimed tournament titles in 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2023. SDSU lost in The Summit League final in 2009.

UP NEXT
South Dakota State will participate in The Summit League Championship at 1 p.m. at North Dakota State's Dacotah Field. The Jackrabbits will face fifth-seed Oral Roberts as the Golden Eagles beat host and top-seed North Dakota State in penalty kicks, 5-4, after ending regulation with a scoreless tie on Thursday evening.

-GoJacks.com-