Fargo is Real, as the humorous Lost in Fargo t-shirt says, and while successive amateur clubs have failed to find a home on the western bank of the Red River, North Dakota State University shrugged and repurposed its old gridiron stadium (8 National Championships at D2 level) into a soccer field 13 years ago, nestled snugly between the track and field facilities of the Ellig Sports Complex and the Sanford Health Athletic Complex (home to NDSU basketball and volleyball) - with a renovated capacity of 2600.
North Dakota State Bison 0-3 Green Bay Phoenix
There was really nothing for the 225 in attendance to celebrate. The Bison only had three shots in the entirety of the game, and only one on target. Possession was a flat-footed tie at 50-50, but in the end, the Phoenix made use of some of their 9 shots on target for a comfortable win. A scruffy opening 10 minutes saw the Bison in control of possession without threatening was followed by a quick strike from a set play as a right wing corner from Ava Nielsen was missed by the flying fist of Peyton Mulberry in the NDSU goal and Senah Hanes headed it home. That was the only notable action of the first 25 minutes. Stark had a shot from outside the area blocked by the home defense and the Phoenix had back to back corners at the half hour mark without adding to their lead. In the 35th minute, Isabella Brozek had a good chance for the Phoenix, but as she broke away, Mulberry was able to do just enough to stop an initial shot and deter a rebound. Green Bay also almost scored off an opportunistic chip that hit the post and was then saved by Mulberry.
Tyreese Zacher drifted in a couple of crosses, but the home team was missing cohesion. Right on the stroke of half time, Lanie Weikert was stuffed spectacularly by a Bison defender on the edge of the NDSU penalty area.
With five minutes played in the second half, the Phoenix scrapped for a second - as the Bison repeatedly half-cleared the ball, Hanes eventually chipping the ball through the congested area and into the top corner of Mulberry's net.
Around the hour mark, Morgan Russmann had a couple of chances to bring the Bison back into the game, but the first was dragged wide and the second was shut down by tough center-back defense. Almost immediately after, Laney Stark scored a superb chip from 25 yards out, catching the aggressive Mulberry well off her line.
In one of a handful of cohesive attacks by the hosts, a crossed ball did not bring a breakthrough. The last twenty minutes saw fewer chances and more substitutions, including a Russmann header in the 87th minute that failed to find a teammate and an 88th-minute corner from NDSU that was blasted high and past the far post. The Phoenix moved on to Grand Forks and a match against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
Summit Scoreboard
Thursday, 13 August
South Dakota State 6-0 Manitoba
Saturday, 15 August
Oral Roberts 3-0 Rogers State
Sunday, 16 August
North Dakota State 0-2 Marquette
North Dakota 1-2 Green Bay
South Dakota State 11-0 Minnesota State-Moorhead
Nebraska 1-1 South Dakota
Iowa State 4-0 Kansas City
Coming Up
(Contact hosts for ticket details)
Wednesday, 19 August
Oral Roberts v California, Riverside
Thursday, 20 August
Green Bay v South Dakota
Northern Iowa v Omaha
North Dakota State v Minnesota
South Dakota State v Washington State
Friday, 21 August
Kansas City v Rockhurst
Saturday, 22 August
Eastern Michigan v North Dakota
Sunday, 23 August
Kansas City v California, Riverside
North Dakota State v Washington State
South Dakota v Morningside
Kansas State v South Dakota State
Drake v St Thomas
Green Bay v Omaha
Friends v Oral Roberts
Our next Summit Survey will be on Monday the 24th.
