Notables
-Dixon was named the UMAC Tournament MVP
-Rouillard was involved in both goals for CSS
-13th UMAC Tournament title all-time and the ninth in the last 11 years
-CSS is now 39-11-1 all-time against UNW, while holding an 8-2 record over them in the UMAC playoffs
ST. PAUL, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The College of St. Scholastica women's soccer team made the trip down to the University of Northwestern for the second time this year, looking to seek revenge in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament championship game. It did just that, taking home the hardware and punching its ticket to the national tournament after a 2-1 victory.
The Action
The UMAC championship game at Reynolds Field featured the No. 1 seeded Eagles and the No. 2 seeded Saints, with the away team heading home victorious.
CSS wasted no time creating pressure on Northwestern as
Jordan Lundberg (Detroit Lakes, Minn./Detroit Lakes HS) fired one wide right of the net just two minutes into the game. The next two shots, however, would be shots on goal for Northwestern.
Roni Rudolph (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS (Minnesota-Duluth)) saved both, keeping the game scoreless five minutes in.
Kailee Katt (Esko, Minn./Esko HS (St. Catherine)) then had two opportunities, with both of her shots being saved by Northwestern's keeper Samantha Dewey. Both
Becca Rancour (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson HS) and
Hannah Zeis (Ashland, Wis./Ashland HS) sent two shots off apiece in the next 20 minutes, but neither found the back of the net.
Seven seconds after the 30-minute mark
Janelle Rouillard (Dayton, Minn./Rogers HS) scored the first goal of the game, with an assist being credited to
Cali Marsaa (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Denfeld HS) to give the Saints a 1-0 lead.
The Rouillard goal would be the lone goal in the first half, as the Saints held off a late shooting barrage from the Eagles to enter the locker room with a one-goal advantage.
Rudolph saved two early shots in the second half, but wouldn't be able to stop the third shot on goal at the 55-minute mark as Northwestern's Anna Welch tied the game at 1-1. CSS immediately put pressure on the Eagles after the equalizer, getting three shots off within the next two minutes after the score. None led to a goal, however, and the game remained tied heading into the 60th minute.
At 62:31, after both teams had changed possession quite a bit in the midfield,
Rachel Dixon (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) received a pass from Rouillard and sent it past the keeper to give the Saints the lead once again at 2-1.
Northwestern couldn't find another shot to land near Rudolph, as the Saints went on to knock off the Eagles and take the UMAC championship trophy back to Duluth.
The win marks the Saints' sixth time reaching the NCAA tournament in the last seven years, looking to advance past the first round for the first time since 2007.
Up Next
The Saints (13-6-3) will find out where and who they will playing in next week's NCAA Division III Tournament at noon Monday on NCAA.com.
