NISA Independent Cup Update
It took a few months, but Milwaukee Torrent have clarified their stance on the NISA Independent Cup which they won (by default). The default cost the club a game for which tickets had been sold, a sequence which left the club feeling aggrieved and a lingering impression of a mess behind the scenes.
Torrent offered three dates for the final at the club's home pitch of Hart Park in Wauwatosa, WI and NISA were ultimately responsible for the decision to award hosting of the final to Milwaukee but Inter Detroit took the forfeit.
There was active communication between Torrent and Inter with NISA as intermediaries which began with the league asking the Wisconsin club a finite question about the date and location of the final, with an implication that they would be hosting. The league then countered that the date offered (Wednesday July 31st) was unsuitable because of the long road trip, but that the following weekend might work. Torrent had an existing (and long planned) date for the inaugural Wisconsin Cup Final on that Saturday evening and that was repeated when Inter came to the table with a suggested 1pm Saturday kickoff. Only hours after the 1pm kickoff was suggested, Inter withdrew from the competition.
What of their accusations? They claimed that they "were not given a fair opportunity to host". NISA named Torrent hosts as it traveled to Inter for the 2023 tournament. On Torrent's part, they firmly believe that Hart Park was the best venue available.
They added that they were "forced to accommodate" Torrent's schedule, but as outlined above, repeated attempts were made to accommodate the travelling side. There is a complaint of the length of travel, but that appears to be torpedoed by the 1pm kick off suggested above.
Lastly, Inter suggest that 90% of their roster would have left for college, but their situation is mirrored across the amateur soccer landscape, including in Wauwatosa.
Torrent, for what it's worth, lost the Wisconsin Cup Final by a Mally Lumsden goal to Superior City FC.
Sioux Falls shows up strong in WPSL Post Season awards
Sioux Falls City FC had an unbeaten regular season and won a third successive Franchise of the Year award in the Northern Conference. Goalkeeper Cambell Fischer and forward Mia Mullenmeister won defensive and offensive players of the year in the conference. Fischer comes from the Sioux Falls metro and plays at the University of South Dakota. Mullenmeister, from the home of the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD is playing further afield at Utah State.
They were joined by team mates Jordan Tenpas (From Orange County, California and now playing at Washburn University, having transferred from Minot State) and Katharina Oelschlager (From Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany and playing at Florida Gulf Coast) as All Region selections.
That XI also sees a hat trick of three-time selections from the University of Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro, in Paige Kalal (MN Thunder), Molly Fiedler and Khyah Harper (Salvo). Notre Dame players Olivia Bohl and Izzy Engle (Both also from the Twin Cities metro and Thunder), Jordyn Jeffers and Avery Murdzek (Both Wisconsinites for St Croix Legacy) round out the selection. Jeffers plays for Ball State and Murdzek plays for South Dakota State.
Duong and Parten the MVPs in the Post Season awards
The USL W League and UPSL leagues have announced their postseason awards this week, led by Katie Duong, who was named Heartland Conference Player of the Year. It is the latest and last award in the glittering pre-professional stage of her career. Having been drafted in the fourth round by her hometown Portland Thorns in NWSL this year, she has been named to the inaugural roster of DC Power, the Washington club in the other Division 1 league, USL Super League. This last regular season, Duong scored 9 times in 10 starts.
In the UPSL, Berit Parten of NOSC Blast was named Midwest West Conference Most Valuable Player ahead of her freshman season at the University of Iowa, with a Golden Boot worthy 20 goals. She leads the line for the First Team selections with Aurora 2's Ava Westlund (also formerly of NOSC). The midfield is composed of players from four different clubs in Anna Tobias from Superior City, Ayah Makled from Aurora, Mehjan Przybilla from NOSC and Minnesota TwinStars' Ryane Cash. The defensive selections are GK Lauren McAlpine, Ruthie Gyasi and Julia Freed from NOSC, Aurora's Kiera Laney and Gwendolyn Lilly from Superior City. The Coach of the Year is NOSC's Josh Okoampa.
The second team sees St Croix Legacy's Alena Miller in goal, backed by a diverse defense: Sydney Kubes of Northern Tide, Lili Wade of Granite City, Bailey Dodds of Aurora and Caroline Lauinger of NOSC. The midfield selections are Luka Johnson of Aurora, Lili Linquist of Tide, Emilia McGiffert of Superior City and Nora Helvig of NOSC. The line is lead by Agatha Nimene of TwinStars and Mandy Elton of Aurora.
Stay tuned to this site for coverage of the inaugural USL Super League season and other women's professional football.
NISA Independent Cup Review
Five amateur sides (Vlora FC, Dakota Fusion, Milwaukee Torrent, United Stars Soccer and Inter Detroit) joined metro Detroit's Michigan Stars in the Great Lakes region of this year's NISA Independent Cup. The regional champions get a trophy but do not meet in any kind of play-off.
Vlora FC traveled out to Fusion in the opening game of the tournament, but lost 2-1 despite having taken the lead. They also competed in the National Amateur Cup.
Torrent lost 6-0 in the National Amateur Cup Final, having won the Region 2 (Midwest) Trophy. They were eliminated from the NPSL playoffs by Des Moines United/Iowa Demon Hawks in the Gateway Conference Final.
Fusion had an unbeaten regular season, despite massive roster turnover and a new head coach, but were also beaten in their Conference Final. The Independent Cup was then left as their only chance of silverware.
Unfortunately for the Fargoans, they also lost to Torrent. Full details of that match can be found at Beyond the 90's NISA Today
Michigan Stars are 8-1-4 (W-D-L) with their NISA season ending on Sept 21st. They lost their first round match in this tournament, to Inter Detroit.
United Stars Soccer lost their only match of the tournament, also to Inter Detroit.
Inter Detroit withdrew from the tournament on the precipice of the Final. Here is their statement:
https://twitter.com/InterDetroit/status/1817724627210150122
This piece will be updated when we receive a reply from Milwaukee Torrent, who have won by default.
NPSL National Semifinals: El Farolito 3-0 Duluth FC
Duluth FC finished the regular season as the 33rd ranked team by points-per-game, the metric used to determine hosting priority for the playoffs. It is eerily similar to the last time they made this stage. Their odyssey has so far taken them on a 500 mile round trip to Fargo and back for the Conference Championship, a 830 mile round trip to Des Moines for the Regional Semifinal and now a 4000 mile round trip to San Francisco for the National Semifinal against #5 El Farolito . The hosts made their debut at this stage of the tournament, having fallen in the regional championship each of the past two seasons.
After strong Farolito possession to open the match, the best chance for either side came on a Duluth counter in the fourth minute, but the ball across the box bobbled into the hands of the keeper Johan Lizarralde. An El Farolito corner in the 7th minute was followed quickly by Jonatan Valdivia blasting one in, on the run into the penalty area. The hosts continued to dominate possession but Duluth FC threatened from a left wing free kick, which became a corner. The ball swung just over, cleared by a defender. Corner #2 goes out for a third but they could not bump the ball over the line.
As the half wore on, the BlueGreens began to funnel the ball into Liam Pritchard’s right channel.
Gabriel Arias made it 2-0 in the 31st minute, finishing from outside the box from a Kipre Sacre pass.
The visitors had a late flurry of chances in the first half. First, Jireh Oyebamji with a chance for Duluth, snuffed out by the keeper in the 41st minute. Two minutes later, Jesus Martinez made a strong slide challenge on a streaking Liam Pritchard in the box. No call. Finally, in stoppage time, Pritchard was denied by Lizarralde at point blank range, sliding out to meet him in the box.
The second half was almost entirely a tale of El Farolito squandering good chances. Eric Arias missed an open goal, and there was a corner headed well over before Duluth FC were required to defend - and Jamie Colvill made a flying save of Edgard Kreye’s point-blank header. Kreye and Arias were joined by Valdivia in placing a chance wide but the closest that Duluth came before the hour mark was a Duluth throw-in, which forced a save. Liam Pritchard, so dangerous against Steel City last weekend, drove a chance too high in the 62nd minute. It marked a short spell of BlueGreen ball control, with two corners in four minutes - the second of which was driven right under the crossbar, forcing Lizarralde to punch it out. Shortly after, attacking substitute Tyler Limmer squared the ball but it was stopped by the keeper. The pattern of El Farolito misses continued as substitute Carlos Rodriguez did so twice in two minutes, first with a diving header from a Valdivia cross and then with his foot.
Somehow, the chances kept coming (and going) for El Farolito, with Jhohann Yabur and Valdivia both stopped by the BlueGreen defense. It took until virtually the last kick of the game for the hosts to score their first of the second half, Rodriguez finally finishing a chance.
Midnight struck like the hammer of a grandfather clock on the dreams of Lake Superior's Cinderella as the 5330 mile odyssey of the BlueGreens came to an end. That also marks the end of another eventful season of NPSL coverage for you on Northern Lights Football, as El Farolito conclude their season with a mammoth 2888 mile trip out to Madison, New Jersey.
Stay tuned for our coverage of women’s professional football on this very site and if you have not already done so please check out our Patreon for ways to support our ongoing mission as a non-profit.
NPSL Midwest Playoff Final
Steel City FC 2-3 Duluth FC (After Extra Time)
Steel City reached this stage last year, before falling to eventual champion Tulsa Athletic on penalty kicks. Duluth can reach a bit further back and recall their own Midwest Region Championship in 2018. They came perilously close to the mandatory 10pm lights out (per the broadcast crew) but in the mean time, the two teams produced a gutsy match.
The match began with Duluth FC dominance, culminating in a neat, close control and finish by Liam Pritchard in the 7th minute. Steel City responded with their own period of pressure, both metaphorically with a high press and literally with a tough challenge on Jamie Colvill. In the 16th minute, the hosts rang the crossbar from a corner and corners (and chances) kept coming in from Steel City. Colvill, up to the task, flew at full stretch in the 21st minute to deny Mikey Sullivan. Liam Pritchard found himself in a pocket of space in the 29th minute, only to be foiled by a last gasp tackle. Two minutes later, Sullivan was back on the ball for the hosts from a midfield free kick, he dribbled all the way to the penalty spot and laced an equalizer into the top corner.
The BlueGreens had another period of possession as the first half ended, but could not break through.
With 48 on the clock, Eduoard Nys shot, only to see it cleared off the Steel City line. Back and forth the possession went but chances went over the gridiron posts or wide. Dylan Sumner drove into the box for Duluth but was whistled for a foul against the defender. A ball in from Nicky Graeca is met with no home team runners. Duluth call for a handball in the 71st minute off a scrambled corner, but the referee didn’t give it. Back up the other end, Steel City had a free kick on the right wing, whipped in but the bicycle kick was ruled offside.
From the 77th minute onward, Duluth pinned Steel City back, they had a missed chance in the 81st minute, but only needed a minute to make up for it as Felipe Santos, who goes to college a couple of hours north of the Steel City at Mercyhurst University, drove into the box unchecked and hammered home what looked like the winning goal in the 82nd minute. Steel City had a corner, cleared, and then a long throw, cleared. However, down to the last gasp, with two minutes of stoppage time elapsed, a scramble in the Duluth box culminated in a goal. The scorer is still unknown at time of publication. Less than a minute later, the visitors were reduced to ten men by a flying two-footed challenge for a straight red card.
Duluth started Extra Time on top, Felipe Santos putting the ball just over, and then Felipe Carli connected with a deep run from Liam Pritchard to slot home in the 99th minute. The game finished with Steel City having their own shout for a penalty in the 113th minute, denied and five other chances just missed as time ran out on (yet another) #1 seed in the Midwest.
It’s difficult to even put into words the scale of achievement by this Duluth FC squad. So far in the playoffs, they have gone on the road to Dakota Fusion (and won) and on the road to Des Moines United/Iowa Demon Hawks (and won) and now on the road to Steel City (and won). In a league where road matches mean short benches, it is staggering. As the 33rd ranked team by points-per-game, their odyssey continues with a National Semifinal in San Francisco against #5 El Farolito.
Talking to us after the game, Head Coach Sean Morgan took a moment to acknowledge the scale of achievement:
It’s just an incredible achievement by a group of incredible young men like how they’ve battled through the season with adversity at different times winning games when we’re coming off the back of bad runs and, like you said the road games that we’ve had to deal with in the last two weeks have been enormous mentally and physically and to be able to put all that to the side and just give it everything I’m just so so proud of the guys can’t be more proud. It’s phenomenal.
NPSL Midwest Playoff Semifinal
Iowa Demon Hawks 0-2 Duluth FC
Duluth FC and Iowa Demon Hawks kicked off from Indianola High School, about 30 minutes south of Des Moines for the right to face the region's #1 seed, Steel City FC in Pittsburgh.
Duluth FC went 7-1-4 in the regular season and beat Dakota Fusion in the North Conference Final.
The Demon Hawks (aka Des Moines United) , went 6-2-2 in the regular season and advanced out of the Gateway Conference playoffs with a 2-0 win over Milwaukee Torrent in their conference championship match.
After an even opening 25 minutes, both teams would register shots on goal, but it would remain goal less going into half time. The BlueGreens would have a couple of shots across the six yard box not converted before Liam Pritchard broke the deadlock in the 65th minute, dribbling inside and out of his defender before finishing at the near post. Only four minutes later, Duluth FC rang a shot off the post and in the seventy-fifth minute, a Demon Hawk shot from distance was tipped onto the crossbar by Jamie Colvill. That would be the closest that the home side would come, and the door slammed firmly shut in the 80th minute as Rory Doyle acrobatically volleyed the ball in from the top of the box.
The visitors face another long road trip in their pursuit of more silverware, facing Steel City FC in Pittsburgh on Saturday to decide the NPSL Midwest Regional Champion. Steel City reached this stage last year, before falling to eventual champion Tulsa Athletic on penalty kicks. Duluth can reach a bit further back and recall their own Midwest Region Championship in 2018.
WPSL Central Playoff Gallery
Union KC 1-2 FC Pride
This weekend, the WPSL Central Playoffs took place. Read our recap here and check out our full gallery below. All photos by Sonja K Abbott.
WPSL Central Playoff Spotlight
The #1 team in the country, Sioux Falls City FC, hosted the Central Region’s playoffs over the weekend, with the winners of the Heartland, Midwest and Mountain Conferences all joining the North’s best with the heat index hitting over 100 degrees on both days.
Saturday
(National Ranking/Regional Ranking)
#1/1 Sioux Falls City v FC Pride
The first chance of the game came in the tenth minute through Sioux Falls City’s Mia Mullenmeister. The Pride goalkeeper Abby Jenkins cleans her out, no penalty was called. You be the judge:
NO CALL! @SiouxFallsCity fans (and players, and coaches) probably would want a PK call there.
Great press leads to a super dangerous counter attack chance for City but no whistle on the aggressive keeper move, there. pic.twitter.com/klsKzo9W7e
— Equal Time Soccer (@EqualTimeSoccer) July 13, 2024
Shortly after the first water break, in the nineteenth minute, Kayla Budish put the visitors ahead with a calm finish past Cambell Fischer. The team from Indiana would then proceed to control play through the remainder of the first half and the Aquawomen went in to the locker room up 1-0.
The second half began with City on the front foot and it was their turn to look expectantly at the referee in the penalty area. While they had no luck on that occasion, the hosts’ pressure was incessant and after a couple of corners the ball found its way into the Pride net, only to be ruled out with the referee pointing to his hand and then to the penalty spot. Jordan Tenpas made the reprieve for Pride temporary, hammering home the penalty kick equalizer.
Kayla Budish continued to produce chances for the visitors, including hitting the post, but it was City who went ahead. Hailee Christensen firing a laser from just outside the penalty area, across the goalkeeper and into the far post in the eightieth minute.
Both sides would again have chances but it was Pride who scored with the last kick of regulation, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, with Budish again on the end of a powerful free kick from fractionally outside the right corner of the penalty area.
She would complete her hat trick on a solo counter in the 108th minute but it was City’s turn to snatch a last-gasp equalizer, Mia Mullenmeister finishing off a free kick in the 120th.
And so it went to “kicks from the mark”, or a penalty shootout as it is usually called, with Lulu Moreno unfortunately the player to miss for Sioux Falls – ending a perfect season in the most imperfect way.
FINAL | SFCFC 3-3 PRIDE (ADV PKs)
What. A. @WPSL. Game!@FCPRIDESOCCER & @SiouxFallsCity battle all the way through 90 min, extra time, PKs (all 10 below). Pride advances!
SFCFC
✅Tenpas
✅Fujii
✅Olsen
✅Bosch
❌MorenoPRIDE
✅Budish
✅Fishel
✅Swingle
✅Kelly
✅Dunaway pic.twitter.com/0UQezsZTl2— Equal Time Soccer (@EqualTimeSoccer) July 14, 2024
Speaking to us after the match, FC Pride head coach Jamie Gilbert spoke warmly of the contest:
One of the best games I’ve been involved with. I thought we’d won it, but obviously they scored in the last second but yeah, incredible game.
Very, very good advertisement for the league. It’s an incredible environment here in Sioux Falls, what the club have done here is fantastic. It was an incredible environment to play in. It’s a game I probably won’t forget for a while.
#7/5 Colorado Pride v #15/7 Union KC
Somehow, the second straight upset of this matchday struggled to reach the heights of the breathless first match, with the Heartland Conference winners holding off late pressure from Mountain Conference winners Colorado Pride.
Union started the game on the front foot and after 9 mins of constant pressure, Adriana Benassi made it 1-0 on the counter. And then, just minutes after Pride had a chance to tie it up, Kate Gibson brokeaway to make it 2-0.
Things got more interesting after the break, Megan Davies benefiting from the high press to make it 2-1 with barely two minutes on the second half clock. There followed a period of end-to-end action, with Adriana Benassi poking home her second from a long diagonal which was squared into the middle to make it 3-1 but Nicole Ray slotting home a long pass into the left back berth for Pride’s second only 3 minutes later.
The last twenty minutes were marked by chances not taken by the Coloradans, with the keeper’s leg and the crossbar intervening.
The game nearly had a grandstand finish, but Union KC held on.
Sunday – WPSL Central Championship
After a back and forth opening half hour, it was Breece Bass breaking the offside trap in the 32nd minute to put Pride ahead.
Union Kansas City finished the half on top, but were unable to equalise.
Gracey Dunaway cannoned the ball off the crossbar in the 51st minute as Pride continued to push forward in search of the decisive blow. Their closest effort came in the 67th minute when a Summer Fishel corner in the 67th minute found the post via an effort on goal from Caroline Kelly..
Adriana Benassi whipped a ball over for Union KC. Then, in the 75th minute, they struck the crossbar with an audacious 27 yard free kick. It would take another 10 minutes before Gigi Meer would score for Union, but unfortunately for them, Tatum Coleman had scored the second for Pride just three minutes earlier.
We spoke to Pride Head Coach Jamie Gilbert again following his team’s victory:
A different game than last night. A lot less drama. We did what we had to do in very, very hot conditions after a very good team W last night. Respect to our opponents and we’re looking forward to Oklahoma.
Check out our full photo gallery here
And so it is on to Stillwater, OK for the Pride. They will play South champion (and defending WPSL champion) Charlotte Eagles. East champions Clarkstown face California Storm in the other semifinal. Both those matches are on Friday, with the Final on Sunday.
NPSL North Playoff Semi Finals
Wednesday
(#= Conference seeding/National ranking)
#1/6 Dakota Fusion 2-1 #4/38 Joy Athletic Club
Fusion v Joy is the league's stingiest defense against the joint Golden Boot winner Philip Caputo.
It took Joy Athletic 20 mins to register a chance, in a first 40 minutes dominated by the home side. Nonetheless, it was Joy’s Zinedine Kroeten who put the visitors ahead with the first of two penalty kicks this evening. The lead lasted barely a minute, as Takumi Sato headed in a left wing corner in the 41st minute.
The second half was much more even, but Ryosuke Miyata made the decisive blow, a smooth, sliding finish from a right wing cross in the 83rd minute. In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Fusion goalie Vincent Sanchis nearly conceded again after a header back to him went over his head and he palmed it away.
Fusion Men's Head Coach Alex Trent talked to us after the game:
Playoffs always bring a new challenge. Our guys showed great resilience, which I'm really proud of. We know Duluth will give us their best and we are looking forward to another good matchup with a trophy on the line.
#2/31 Duluth FC 2-0 #3/39 Minnesota TwinStars (Game halted because of red cards)
Duluth FC v TwinStars went into extra time tied at 0-0, with TwinStars down to ten men following a melee in the 90th minute. Dylan Sumner broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 98th minute. Felipe Santos made it 2-0 in the 105th minute before a fifth red card for the visitors triggered a forfeit in the 115th minute.
Coming Up:
Dakota Fusion FC v Duluth FC Saturday at 7pm.
WPSL Central Playoff Preview
The #1 team in the country, Sioux Falls City FC, host the Central Region's playoffs over the weekend.
Saturday
(National Ranking/Regional Ranking)
#1/1 Sioux Falls City v FC Pride
Sioux Falls City's Katharina Oelschlager leads the deepest and most prolific attack in the region, while Cambell Fischer has only conceded 1 goal as a starting goalie all season. On the other hand, FC Pride finished the season with a record of 6-1-4 (W-D-L), while scoring the same number of goals as the division's top team, FC Dayton. Pride moved on to South Dakota with a road victory against the previously undefeated Lake Michigan Division winners FC Milwaukee Torrent.
#7/5 Colorado Pride v #15/7 Union KC
Colo Pride were a high-scoring winner of the Rockies Division of the Mountain Conference, knocking in 38. Bello Omowunmi, with 13 goals and Abby Stassi with 6, have been the biggest contributors. Union KC (8-1-1) won the Heartland Conference and thus a spot in the playoffs but are middle of the pack in scoring and in goal difference across the region.
NISA Independent Cup : 1st Round
Less than 24 hours after an away game with MN Blizzard ended 8-0 to Dakota Fusion, the #1 seed in the NPSL Midwest Region faced an altogether more challenging opponent in UPSL/MASL side Vlora FC on Sunday afternoon. Despite missing the UPSL Premier Division playoffs, Vlora have made a season of eye-catching cup contests - often on the road.
This was the first round of the Great Lakes Region of NISA Independent Cup, a cluster of regional mini tournaments which each have a winner and a participating NISA professional side. In the case of the Great Lakes, that is Michigan Stars FC - although they are on the 'other side of the bracket' from tonight's combatants.
After an opening 18 minutes dominated by Fusion, the hosts went ahead through Nicolo Lai, finishing a passage of pinball in the box. Five minutes later, the visitors took advantage of an errant header by a Fusion defender across the box to head themselves level through Tensing Walker.
Vlora goalkeeper Mitchell Wolff then kept his team in the game before the visitors ended the first half in the ascendency but tied on goals, including hammering the ball off the crossbar from 20 yards away.
Oliver Benson dribbled through multiple defenders but Wolff blocked his shot, point blank.
Fusion began the second half on the front foot, and a shot across the goal very nearly resulted in an own goal, ricocheting off the post. In the 50th minute, the referee missed a Fusion penalty kick - instead ruling that the foul took place outside the area. He placed the ball literally on the penalty area line.
There was a 20 minute period of back and forth pressure before a defense splitting pass was squared to James Narke for the cushioned tap in to put Fusion back on top in the 76th minute. Both sides had free kicks but no clear chances and it was Fusion who moved on.
Speaking to us after the match, Dakota Fusion head men's coach Alex Trent said
While I would have liked for us to play better and finish our chances in the first half, finding a way to get a result and overcome more adversity is a good sign that the guys are growing and maturing. A lot of guys stepped up today with us putting out a completely different lineup than in our game last night. Really proud of James Narke getting the winner after the long journey he has been on this summer with us to get back into playing after several years out of the game - he has been a huge part of our success day to day during the season and now on the field recently which is a testament to his hard work and commitment to this summer experience.
Coming Up in the Independent Cup
Dakota Fusion face a road trip to Wauwatosa, WI to play Milwaukee Torrent (who play in the Gateway Conference of the NPSL) on Friday 19th.
NPSL Round-Up: July 1-6
Tuesday:
Siouxland United 3-1 Sioux Falls Thunder
A 43rd minute goal by Lucas Foreman and two from Ben Shields were countered by a goal by Simon Woods for Thunder.
Dakota Fusion 6-1 Minnesota TwinStars
A strong wind blew left to right, in the faces of Fusion, at the backs of TwinStars for the first half. It was a broken opening 10 with multiple TwinStars down and Chigoze Eneje out injured a couple times.
Fusion had three different players shoot on target before Rich Busmeister scored for Fusion in the 18th minute. TwinStars scored direct from the kick-off, wind assisted by Carlos Boquin, over the head of Devine, who was upfield congratulating the goalscorer. Both sides had chances but it was Busmeister who made it 2-1 in the 30th minute, finishing off a passage of close passing down the middle, slotting it calmly past the keeper into the corner.
In the 40th minute, a Fusion corner was recycled and Sho Toda ran in on goal but was tackled by Balakiyem Katanga in the TwinStars goal, leaving both down and the goal empty. Ryosuke Miyata chipped the ball in.
Jino Agbassa made it 4-1 off a neat passage of play just to the right of center, again calmly dispatched. James Narke curled one off the post before Telvin Vah cushioned the ball and slotted it home in the 61st minute from the top of the box to make it 5-1. Will Devine stopped TwinStars at point blank range a few times before the last goal came close to the end, Vah with his second, off a neat interchange.
The result seals the #1 seed for Fusion, and a home playoff game against the #4 team in the North, which was yet to be settled.
Speaking to us after the match about the season to this point, Fusion head coach Alex Trent said:
Minnesota Blizzard 2-5 Joy Athletic
Bennett Kouame opened the scoring but Carter Hermanson equalized for Blizzard. Philip Caputo scored twice to put Joy back on top for good, despite an Ashton Frost goal. Zinedine Kroeten scored a penalty and Caputo finished his first half hat trick. The result, and the TwinStars loss, put Joy in 3rd and moved TwinStars down to 4th, with the two teams meeting on Saturday.
Saturday:
Minnesota Blizzard 0-8 Dakota Fusion
The Blizzard bid farewell to their inaugural season with a hammering by the #1 seed in the Midwest region, Dakota Fusion. They are ranked #7 in the national poll, with that seeding determining who hosts. So stay tuned. In tonight's match, Richard Busmeisters scored two, Brandon Garcia also got two (one from the penalty spot), Inshun Han, Sho Toda, Alex Benitez and Rysuke Miyata all scored.
Siouxland United 3-2 Duluth FC
Duluth finish the season down to 10 men after the dismissal of their goalkeeper, Zeke Foltz, although the loss essentially does nothing to the standings.
The BlueGreens took the lead through Dylan Sumner but Ben Shields equalized. Liam Pritchard put the away side back ahead before Kenny Hewitt equalized. Following the red card for Foltz, Marcus Horwood scored to make it 3-2.
Minnesota TwinStars 4-2 Joy Athletic Club
A Joy AC win, which was on the cards in this exciting end-to-end game at one point, would have moved Joy into second place and the Outlaws into the #4 seed.
TwinStars goals came from Sadra Golzarian, Abdousalam Akinola and David Diawara twice. Joy's goalscorer information is pending.
Coming Up:
Wednesday
#1 Dakota Fusion FC v #4 Joy Athletic Club
Fusion beat Joy 4-0 in the regular season version of this match, and remain unbeaten.
#2 Duluth FC v #3 Minnesota TwinStars
The BlueGreens hammered TwinStars in the regular season edition of this match-up, so they will be hoping for a better trip up to the banks of Lake Superior this time around.
Saturday
Top remaining seed hosts the other winner for the Conference Championship.
WPSL Central Region Playoffs Preview
Playoffs! In the Northland!
As part of the planned rotation between regions, it has long been known that the Northern Conference's winners this year would not only seal that conference's only spot in the playoffs, but would also host the Central Regional finals. This year there is only one Conference Championship in the Central Region.
FC Pride (who finished third in the Gateway) play Lake Michigan winners Milwaukee Torrent for the Midwest Conference on Sunday for a place in Sioux Falls.
Sioux Falls City in the Northern Conference and the Heartland division winners Union KC are spared that extra game, Rockies division winners Colorado Pride have won the Mountain Conference's spot in the Central Region's final four.
I will be investigating how clubs qualified for the postseason without winning their conference.
USL League 2 Spotlight: Minneapolis City v Rochester FC
Minneapolis City SC 2-0 Rochester FC
Goals by Eli Goldman and Ryan Keefe
All pictures from Jason Morales Ortiz