CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston women's soccer team will hit the soccer pitch for the first time since November 8, 2019, marking 664 days since UMN Crookston played a regular-season match due to COVID-19. The Golden Eagles will take on Dakota Wesleyan University at the Pepsi-Cola Soccer Complex in Mitchell, S.D. Saturday, September 4 at 3:30 p.m.

Minnesota Crookston has a completely revamped squad from 2019 as they only return two faces from that roster, ushering in a new era of Golden Eagle soccer. Head Coach Kyle Halfpop is in his third season for UMN Crookston. The Golden Eagles went 3-0 in preseason play showing off a strong offense, the program hasn't seen in several years. Halfpop brings a more offensive-minded approach to the table for the Golden Eagles, though the back end still looks to be strong for UMN Crookston.
 

GAME INFORMATION

LIVE STATS - https://dwuathletics.com/sports/wsoc/2021-22/boxscores/20210904_0vv8.xml

LIVE VIDEO - https://dwuathletics.com/sports/wsoc/2021-22/boxscores/20210904_0vv8.xml
 

LAST TIME OUT

• MINNESOTA CROOKSTON WON THREE EXHIBITION GAMES TO OPEN 2021, BUT THE LAST REGULAR-SEASON CAME FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLES
WAS NOV.8, 2019 WITH A 3-0 LOSS TO BEMIDJI STATE. THE LAST REGULAR-SEASON WIN CAME NOV. 5, 2019 WITH A 3-2 VICTORY OVER MINOT STATE.

• MINNESOTA CROOKSTON HAS NOT PLAYED AN OFFICIAL MATCH SINCE NOV. 8, 2019

• THE GOLDEN EAGLES WENT 3-0 IN EXHIBITION MATCHES WITH WINS OVER MINNESOTA MORRIS, ST. SCHOLASTICA, AND PRESENTATION.

• DAKOTA WESLEYAN COMES IN WITH A 1-1 MARK WITH A WIN OVER BELLEVUE AND A LOSS AT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE.

SERIES

• MINNESOTA CROOKSTON WAS SCHEDULED TO PLAY DAKOTA WESLEYAN IN 2019 IN CROOKSTON BUT THE MATCH WAS CANCELLED DUE TO
FLOODING NEAR MITCHELL, S.D.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

• DAKOTA WESLEYAN COMES IN WITH A 1-1 MARK ON THE SEASON. IN THEIR WIN OVER BELLEVUE THEY GOT KEY GOALS FROM ALONDRA
 PARTIDA AND JOSEPHINE BARDSLEY.

• ISABELLA GREGG PUT UP A CLEAN SHEET IN GOAL FOR THE TIGERS AGAINST BELLEVUE.

• THE TIGERS TOOK SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA TO OVERTIME AUG. 29 LED BY A GOAL FROM BARDSLEY.

WATCH OUT FOR THE FRESHMEN

• MINNESOTA CROOKSTON HAS A YOUNG SQUAD IN 2021 LED BY SIX FRESHMEN. ALL SIX WILL LOOK TO MAKE AN IMPACT THIS SEASON FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLES.

RETURNING TO THE SCENE

• GABRIELA PINTO AND ASHLEY CHOMYN ARE THE ONLY TWO GOLDEN EAGLES WHO HAVE SUITED UP IN A REGULAR-SEASON CONTEST WHO ARE BACK IN THE FOLD IN 2021.

BACK BUT READY TO PLAY

• MINNESOTA CROOKSTON HAS FOUR PLAYERS WHO WERE WITH THE TEAM IN 2020 BUT WERE UNABLE TO PLAY DUE TO THE CANCELLATION OF THE SEASON DUE TO COVID-19. MADELYN TEPLANSKY, ALYSSA PAVLACIC, JACQUELINE CALDERON AND ABBY OLSEN ARE BACK AFTER A YEAR OF PRACTICE AND LOOKING TO MAKE AN INSTANT IMPACT.

IN THE NAVY

• KATHRYN BRAINERD HAS A UNIOUE STORY AS SHE PLAYED GOALIE AT ROCHESTER COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE IN 2013 AND 2014 AND THEN JOINED THE NAVY FOR FIVE YEARS. BRAINERD WAS DEPLOYED IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND DID A SWIM QUALIFICATION AT THE MARIANA TRENCH. NOW SHE IS BACK IN MINNESOTA AND PURSUING HER LOVE OF SOCCER. BRAINERD WILL SHOW OFF HER VERSATILITY AS SHE CAN BE USED IN THE FIELD AND AS A GOALIE FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLES.

FOCUS ON THE ATTACK

• MINNESOTA CROOKSTON WILL LOOK TO HAVE AN INCREASED FOCUS ON THE ATTACK UNDER HEAD COACH KYLE HALFPOP. IT HAS ALREADY SHOWED AS THE GOLDEN EAGLES SCORED 10 GOALS IN THE PRESEASON AFTER ONLY SCORING SIX GOALS IN 2019.

BACK LINE

• MINNESOTA CROOKSTON'S BACK LINE OF DEFENSE, INCLUDING GOALIE ABBY OLSEN LOOKED STRONG IN EXHIBITION PLAY. THE CENTER BACK PAIRING OF ALYSSA PAVLACIC AND JADA VANOVERBEKE WERE ALSO VERY STRONG AND WERE EFFECTIVE AT HOLDING OUT THE OPPOSITION.

MIDWEST CONNECTION

• MINNESOTA CROOKSTON HAS 10 PLAYERS FROM THE MIDWEST ON THEIR ROSTER. ALL 10 WILL HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE GOLDEN EAGLES. IN ADDITION THE GOLDEN EAGLES HAVE PLAYERS FROM OREGON, CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON, AND MANITOBA.