WPSL Wrap Up: Week 6
Wednesday
MN Bliss FC 1-0 Minnesota Dutch Lions
Ella O'Keefe out of Plymouth, MN was the difference maker as she tapped home a corner at the far post after an initial shot was a kick of fresh air. The result places Bliss fourth, equal with a St Croix team that had played two fewer games. Minnesota Dutch Lions, on the other hand, continue their search for their first win.
Friday
Joy Athletic Club 0-4 St Croix Legacy
A dominant midfield performance by the Legacy sees the team from Stillwater area pick off Joy defense with two offside-trap breaking passes around the corner and two late tap ins, totaling two each for Lake Elmo, MN's Amara Smith and two for Shoreview, MN's Tatum Trettel.
Manitou FC 1-4 Mankato United SC
Mandy Elton opened the scoring in the 7th minute but hers would be the only goal for the home side. Local product Ella Huettl, Albertville, MN's Harlee Peltz, Scotswoman Hannah Duncan and St Peter, MN's Grace Dlouhy returned fire for the road team.
Sunday
Mankato United SC 0-2 St Croix Legacy
The visitors took a half-time lead after a Bella Meier free kick from midfield bounced and skipped its way through traffic and over Tea Opitz into the goal. In the 57th minute, Hastings, MN's Meier doubled the team's lead with a sumptuous side foot curler from the edge of the box. Mankato had moments of possession but no penetration into the Legacy box.
Minnesota Dutch Lions 2-0 Manitou FC
The Dutch Lions secured their first win of the season at their last attempt, with well struck goals by Natalia Coury (out of Arizona) and Serene Hamzeh (out of Iowa City, IA).
Coming Up:
The first ever North Lakes Conference Championship, which we look at here.
WPSL Wrap Up: Week 5
Wednesday
Joy Athletic Club 0-3 Minnesota Thunder
Yet again, it took an hour before the visitors broke through. Still, a right-wing corner was skillfully flicked in at the near post by North Dakota State Bison Kendall Stadden. The second goal came only two minutes later as Minnesota Golden Gopher Paige Kalal tapped home after Concordia St. Paul's Sydney Potter parried a pile driver in the Joy goal. Kalal got a second five minutes later, blasting the ball past Potter from the top of the box after the Goats had repelled a spell of more intricate play.
Saturday
Minnesota Dutch Lions FC 1-1 Mankato United Soccer Club
Two stoppage time goals accounted for all the offense. Mankato United opened the scoring in the third minute of first half stoppage, through North Dakota State's Robyn Moody but their hard-fought win would be canceled out by a Dutch Lion equalizer in the third minute of second half stoppage, Idaho State Bengal Natalia Coury continuing a scarcely believable number of draws for the home team this season, this one being their fourth without a win.
Sunday
Minnesota Thunder 1-1 MN Bliss FC
Thankfully a short road trip for Bliss as they drove up to Eden Prairie for an indoor breakfast meeting with Thunder. The hosts explained to us why the game had been rescheduled:
Given the forecasted extreme heat conditions we decided to move the game indoors at Winter Park to provide a safer environment for players, staff and fans. The earlier KO is a result of field availability.
With all that said, the match finished 1-1, North Dakota State's Loretta Wacek putting Bliss ahead in the 5th minute and Minnesota Golden Gopher Grace Estby equalizing only 5 minutes later. Perhaps it was inevitable that after a couple of late-ish wins, Thunder would drop points somewhere along the line.
Salvo Soccer Club 3-0 Joy Athletic Club
Even in a league like WPSL where re-entry is unlimited, hydration breaks punctuated a night where the heat index went into the triple digits. An intricate goal in the first 10 minutes by South Dakota State Jackrabbit Katelyn Buelke was the only score going into half time, and it took until just short of the hour mark before Illinois State Redbird Maggie Dowling lifted a shot from the top of the area into the roof of the net to make it 2-0. Another blast into the top corner from the top of the box with the last kick of the game by Minnesota Golden Gopher Avery Petty completed the win and kept Salvo on top of the division.
Now they wait to see if St Croix can win both their games in hand and pip them to a playoff spot.
Manitou FC 2-5 St Croix Legacy
Two goals from Kenzie Jacobson (St. Thomas) and singles from Tatum Trettel (also a Tommie) , Brooke Nelson (South Dakota Coyotes) and Emma Johnson carried the Legacy to a win.
Upcoming:
Minnesota Thunder are done for the season, they may still win the Land of the Lakes Division but have opted out of the playoffs. Salvo have played their last regular season game and lead the clubs who have opted-in. However, St Croix have two games in hand on both. They cannot mathematically over take Thunder, but they would still beat Salvo to the playoff berth if they win both their remaining games. We are planning on being in Mankato on Sunday to see if that happens.
Wednesday
MN Bliss FC v Minnesota Dutch Lions
Friday
Joy Athletic Club v St Croix Legacy
Manitou FC v Mankato United SC
Sunday
Mankato United SC v St Croix Legacy
Minnesota Dutch Lions v Manitou FC
And then... the North Lakes Conference Final versus the top team in the Lake Michigan Division.
WPSL Wrap Up: Week 4
Wednesday
Joy Athletic Club 2-0 Mankato United Soccer Club
Lakevillians Ashley Bennett and Brooke Quam were the key pieces in this home victory. Bennett opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a neat shot that slid under the keeper Ella Lysne from a Quam pass. Quam doubled the lead in the 59th minute, from a Bennett assist to secure a home win for the Goats.
Minnesota Dutch Lions FC 0-2 Minnesota Thunder
Harvard commit and France U-17 international Lou Ruffien put Thunder ahead in the 25th minute and University of Northern Iowa Panther Abby OBrien (out of White Bear Lake, MN) secured the win in the 83rd minute.
Manitou FC 1-2 MN Bliss FC
St Paulite and North Dakota State Bison Loretta Wacek and Bemidji State Beaver Ella Wade, also out of the Twin Cities metro, tipped Bliss over the top against Manitou FC.
Friday
Manitou FC 0-2 Minnesota Thunder
Hastings, Minnesota's Paige Peltier got both goals for Thunder, as they climbed to second in the standings.
Saturday
St Croix Legacy 1-1 Minnesota Dutch Lions FC
A Legacy side short-handed due to Father's Day wrapped up their home slate with a hard-fought win against the Dutch Lions. The visitors have yet to win, but have drawn three times. The visitors opened the scoring in the 63rd minute through Adriana Brenengen's neat strike coming in off the right to blast it underneath Hadley Johnson in the Legacy net. However, the Winona High School kid's go ahead goal would not last as ten minutes later, Legacy attacked down their left, and Lake Elmo, MN's Amara Smith (who goes to Minnesota State -Mankato) slotted calmly past the goalie.
The last drama came in the 81st minute when a Legacy player nipped in ahead of a defender and the two collided. Free kick awarded, 30 yards out. The ball was driven in, and it went into the Dutch Lion net, but as the Legacy players headed back to the center circle for a goal, the Dutch Lions players protested and after an interlude the goal was chalked off for handball but no further action - such as a caution - was taken.
Sunday
Minnesota Thunder 2-0 Mankato United Soccer Club
Mankato United's Tea Opitz stood on her head on the Academy of Holy Angels Stardome field where she played as a kid, anchoring a defense which kept the prolific Thunder off the scoreboard for 70 minutes but in the end, Paige Peltier slotted past Opitz after a pass down the middle by Matigann Vixayvong split the defense open. The second goal was a scramble in the 83rd minute, finished off by the Minneapolis born Wisconsin Badger Kiya Gilliand from a corner kick by Paige Peltier.
MN Bliss FC 0-8 Salvo SC
There were 10 minutes on the clock when Salvo unlocked the Bliss defense, a run down the left culminated in a pass across the top of the box for Davy Mokelke to slide the ball home. An interception in midfield set up the second, again calmly slotted away by Becca Smith in the 17th minute. Bliss had a spell of possession around the 20th minute but Salvo had made it three by the 24th, through Mya Nugent. Mokelke added a fourth before half time.
Salvo salted away the victory with a fifth goal in the 53rd minute when Nugent swooped on the rebound after a spectacular close range save by Sarah Martin. It was 6-0 in the 72nd minute when an interchange down the right ended with the ball being bundled home for an own goal. The seventh goal in the 78th minute by Alma Beaton was a swallow dive from the edge of the area, dipping and swerving past Martin. The eighth went in through Ceilidh Whynott in the 85th minute.
Coming Up:
Wednesday
Joy Athletic Club v Minnesota Thunder
Saturday
Minnesota Dutch Lions FC v Mankato United Soccer Club
Sunday
Minnesota Thunder v MN Bliss FC
Manitou FC v St Croix Legacy
Salvo Soccer Club v Joy Athletic Club
WPSL Wrap Up: Week 2
Wednesday
St Croix Legacy 2-1 Salvo SC
St Croix Legacy played back from the kick off to the final whistle, absorbing the much higher line of Salvo's pressure and countering. That strategy netted the go-ahead goal courtesy of a connection between two St Croix locals - a header from Concordia St Paul's Stella Nielsen connecting with ferocity on a corner in the 20th minute from CJ Fredkove, currently going to St Thomas.
Salvo, on the other hand, also seemed wedded to a strategy - high tempo, close passing despite the relentless defense of Legacy in their personal space. The first half was seen out with Sophia Barjesteh peppering corners in to the St Croix area with no finish.
The visitors equalized in the 65th minute after a cross by another Tommie, Sofia Englund was neatly tapped home by Lauren Eckerle of South Dakota State. Salvo pushed further forward, but with the literal last play of the match, CJ Fredkove got her second assist of the contest, with a searching ball down the left wing in stoppage time. Tatum Trettel tight-roped the left sideline and drove towards goal, before slotting the ball past Ayden Gagner in the Salvo net and into the far side netting. The only action left in the match was the final whistle. I think Trettel might still be running.
Friday 30th May
Mankato United SC 1-3 Salvo SC
Riley Lijewski (An Ohio State Buckeye out of River Falls, WI) scored twice - once each from open play and the penalty spot to key an easy victory for Salvo. Katelyn Beulke (out of Hugo, MN and currently a South Dakota State Jackrabbit) also scored for the metro side and Mankato United claimed a consolation from Jade Jackson (one of the many players on the roster who plays for MN State University Mankato).
Minnesota Bliss FC 3-1 Manitou FC
Mergers and co-ops are all over the youth soccer landscape, so I guess it was inevitable that they would impact the next step in the women's football pathway. Minnesota Bliss FC's predecessors and parent clubs reach across the West Metro from Plymouth, Wayzata, Shorewood, Minnetonka, Deephaven to Maple Grove and Brooklyn Park in the Northwest of the Twin Cities. MapleBrook played the Fury in WPSL last season and Tonka Fusion Elite played very successfully in UPSL W. This year, the two clubs joined up to field Bliss FC. The new venture showed a high level of cohesion in their first match, blitzing the visitors from White Bear Lake, MN with incisive passes from midfield through the center of the Manitou FC defense.
30 seconds in, North Dakota State's Loretta Wacek, out of Saint Paul, MN, broke away down the middle and slotted home the opener. An absolute blast from outside the area in the 20th minute by Bemidji State Beaver Ella Wade, who's from Rogers, MN, made it a two goal lead. Manitou's consolation was scored by Madeleine Thompson (who is still a high school student, at White Bear Lake).
Minnesota Dutch Lions FC 1-1 Joy AC
Another club to go through a change this offseason is Rochester United FC, who became the 11th side in the sprawling Dutch Lions FC organization. The home side broke the deadlock in the 45th min, with a blast from Viterbo and Brookfield, WI's Abby Mumm on the edge of the area. Brooke Nast equalized, barely 5 minutes after half time.
Sunday 1st June
Mankato United 1-1 Minnesota Dutch Lions FC
Good cross in from the left by Kiera Laney in the 24th minute, was headed firmly past the Dutch Lions keeper Anna Lundeen by Allie Hartig to put the home side ahead. Abby Mumm is two-in-two, after a wedge over Ella Lynse to equalize in the 63rd minute.
Minnesota Bliss FC 3-0 Joy AC
Driving in from the right, Ella O'Keefe (from Plymouth, MN) slotted past the Joy keeper in the 34th minute for Bliss. The hosts doubled their lead in the 48th minute, a pinball header from Loretta Wacek off a right wing corner. Wacek set up her own second, bursting down the left wing, then popping up in the box to finish the move and make it 3-0.
Minnesota Thunder 1-6 Salvo SC
Unaccountably a blowout victory for the road team. Minnesota Golden Gopher Avery Petty opened the scoring for Salvo after only 4 minutes with a volley from the top of the box past the Colorado Buffalo Brooke Goerish. South Dakota State's Katelyn Beulke then doubled the lead in the 20th minute, weaving her way down the center of the box. Another quarter hour passed, with play going from box to box but neither team scoring before Sofia Barjesteh (St Thomas), teed up and then volleyed into the top corner from the top of the Thunder box.
In the 50th minute, a Thunder ball in from the right saw the attacker in the middle miss her kick and Salvo countered clinically, Salvo's Davy Mokelke (Another Gopher) finishing it off. The fifth goal came only three minutes later, another fast break by Salvo, finished off by Elle Wildman (Iowa) after a defense splitting pass from Molly Fiedler (most recently the Head Coach of St Olaf). Another three minutes went by, and Ashley Thurk (Yet another Minnesota player) made a mazy run and finish, all the way up from right back.
Thunder's sole goal went in the hole after Vivian Rojas-Collins's (most recently Pomona), whipped cross was converted by Kendall Stadden (Former MN Golden Gopher, now a North Dakota State Bison).
All in all, an unusually large margin for Thunder to lose by, but not at all unusual a goal difference for Salvo. They don't have long at all to wait for a rematch.
Coming Up:
Wednesday
Salvo SC v Minnesota Thunder
St Croix Legacy v MN Bliss FC
Saturday
Joy Athletic Club v Manitou FC
Sunday
Minnesota Thunder v St Croix Legacy
Mankato United v MN Bliss FC
Salvo SC v Minnesota Dutch Lions
WPSL kicks off in the Land of the Lakes
Sunday 18th May
St Croix Legacy 4-3 Joy AC
In a back and forth battle, the home team finished on top courtesy of Tatum Trettel's chip of Joy Athletic Club goalie Sydney Potter in the 88th minute. Jillian Brown opened the scoring in the 10th minute for Joy, and Trettel equalized in the 35th minute. Joy went back ahead with 5 minutes left in the half.
After 15 minutes of possession by Legacy and counters by Joy, it was a Legacy counter which created the equalizer. Trettel squaring the ball to Amara Smith in the 6 yard box to make it 2-2. Smith herself then forced the ball off a Joy defender in their penalty area and then broke past Potter to make it 3-2 in the 65th minute. The patterns reasserted themselves for 17 minutes before Sophia King took matters into her own hands and drove down the Joy left before blasting it past Prates in the Legacy goal from the top of the box for the equalizer.
Finally, after scoring the fourth goal, Trettel had a chance in stoppage time to seal her hat trick but Potter pushed it away at full stretch.
Thursday 22nd May
Salvo SC 6-0 Manitou FC
Three goals in six minutes set the seal on a lethal first half display by the hosts. Riley Lijewski headed home from a corner, Elle Wildman finished a neat passage of close passes through the middle of the Manitou defense and Davy Mokelke darted in from the left wing to finish her second. Mokelke had earlier put Salvo ahead, controlling a difficult, bouncing ball into the box before volleying it home.
The second half saw both teams show moments but Salvo again showing some furious finishing, with Davy Mokelke wrapping up a hat trick from the left and Elle Wildman making it a brace from the right.
Coming Up:
Wednesday 28th May
St Croix Legacy v Salvo SC
Friday 30th May
Mankato United SC v Salvo SC
Minnesota Dutch Lions FC v Joy AC
Minnesota Bliss FC v Manitou FC
Sunday 1st June
Mankato United v Minnesota Dutch Lions FC
Minnesota Bliss FC v Joy AC
The North no longer, WPSL does the hokey-pokey
The clubs and structure for the 2025 WPSL season have been announced.
With the departure of Sioux Falls City and Dakota Fusion (at least for now), the WPSL has taken the opportunity to reorganize (what was) the Northern Conference.
The Northern Conference has steadily grown while remaining an outlier until the point where last season, 10 teams competed for 1 playoff spot. Instead, 2025 will see the debut of the North Lakes Conference. To make the new conference, the Lake Michigan division shifts over from the Midwest Conference, and the remaining teams from the Northern Conference make up the Land of Lakes division.
Come playoff time, the winners of the two divisions will play a Conference Championship for a single spot in the Central Playoffs.
The returning teams in the Land of Lakes division
Salvo SC, who play at University of Northwestern in Roseville, MN, finished second in the North last season and are perennial challengers for a playoff berth.
Prior to Sioux Falls City's emergence, Richfield-based Minnesota Thunder provided a duopoly with Salvo but have consistently declined a playoff spot as a matter of club policy.
Joy Athletic Club are the NPSL arm of the St. Paul-based "free play" non-profit, who have thus far not challenged for a playoff spot.
White Bear Lake's Manitou FC finished the season with one win.
MapleBrook Fury are now MN Bliss , as part of a partnership with the UPSL's Tonka Fusion Elite. Formerly challengers, they endured a 2-2-5 season.
The eastern border of the Twin Cities metro (and the Wisconsin border) brings Stillwater, MN based St Croix Legacy.
Outside of the Metro, there remains Mankato United (who were challengers in the era of Jenny Vetter, but no longer) and Minnesota Dutch Lions (who were previously Rochester United FC)
WPSL Wrap-Up: Week 8
The battle for the North was all set up for a showdown on Friday, albeit with an unexpectedly tight result in Maple Grove.
Wednesday
St Croix Legacy 1-0 Mankato United
This was a Spotlight Match of the week, full gallery here.
Minnesota Thunder 11-2 Rochester United
Caroline Bailey scored a hat trick, Kiya Gilliand scored two and Vesna Dennison, Taylor Heimerl, Paige Peltier, Paige Kalal, Izzy Engle and Allison Flies all scored once for Thunder. Kylie Miranto and Sydney Tucker scored for the Lions.
MapleBrook Fury 0-1 Salvo SC
A penalty kick from the prolific Khyah Harper kept Salvo's season perfect.
Friday
Dakota Fusion 0-4 Joy Athletic Club
A strong second half by the Goats, yet another defeat for Fusion. Brooke Quam scored twice, Ashley Bennett and
Sioux Falls City 1-0 Salvo SC
Mia Bosch sealed the Conference title, and hosting rights for the playoffs, with a winner in the 60th minute, from a Mia Mullenmeister pass and off a despairing Ayden Gagner in the Salvo net.
Saturday
Mankato United 5-0 Manitou FC
Jadyn Chee, Kelsey Heller, Lucy Weninger, Ava Stanchina and Marit Klagge all scored for United.
Sunday
Dakota Fusion 0-2 Rochester United
Rochester United travelled to Fargo with only 11 players but matched up with a team who rostered only 12.
A back and forth opening few minutes marked by few chances, often only just missed by both sides.
Right on half time, a free kick for Rochester, bounced high over the Fusion keeper Quinn Carter but was somehow scrambled clear.
Fusion’s Sarah Burgum, missed a chance, over the crossbar, from inside the 6 yard box and only ten minutes later, Rochester United had a two run lead. Sydney Tucker benefited from a long ball down the middle which bounced free of the Fusion offside trap, slotting past a disgruntled Carter. Two minutes later, Kylie Mirango made it 2-0 to the visitors, slapping home a ball which found her in the six yard box from a midfield free kick.
Fusion finished the game on the front foot but failed to spoil the clean sheet. With that result, the team from Fargo-Moorhead head to MapleBrook next week hoping for a two win season but with the chance for a transformatory three-win season gone by the way.
Joy Athletic Club 1-0 MapleBrook Fury
Ashley Bennett scored the winner in the Goats last game of the season. Ben VanWyk has a full Spotlight gallery here
St Croix Legacy 0-1 Sioux Falls City
Taylor Thomas's early strike is enough to give the Northern Conference Champions a perfect regular season. Jason Morales Ortiz has the Spotlight coverage here.
Coming Up:
Sunday July 7th:
MapleBrook Fury v Dakota Fusion
WPSL Wrap-Up: Week 7
With so much action in the league this week, we spotlighted Salvo's comprehensive victory over Manitou. The other results are as follows:
Tuesday
St Croix Legacy 3-2 Rochester United
Lexi Huber (from Kallianne Mogler) and then Lainey Murdzek (from Avery Murdzek) put Legacy ahead 2-0 within the opening half-hour. Sydney Tucker got a double (both unassisted, in the 62nd and 69th minutes) to tie the match but Lainey Murdzek popped up in the 85th minute (this time from Claire Cater) to steal the three points for the hosts.
Wednesday
Mankato United 2-1 Joy Athletic Club
Goals from Ella Huettl and Jadyn Chee for the hosts carried United past their visitors' late goal from Ashley Bennett.
MapleBrook Fury 1-6 Minnesota Thunder
Kendall Stadden's tally for the hosts was met with thunderous intent with goals by Grace Estby, Caroline Bailey, Paige Kalal, Izzy Engle and Paige Peltier.
Friday
Dakota Fusion 0-5 Sioux Falls City
Sioux Falls City kept pace with Salvo, with an explosion of scoring from Katharina Oelschlager - three goals in seven minutes (although one was probably an own goal) providing the dagger. Oelschlager is credited with four goals overall from the game and Yui Fujii opened the scoring, after an opening 30 minutes where they had repeatedly failed to connect on final passes but had otherwise knocked on the door.
Saturday
Manitou FC 1-3 Joy AC
The basement battle went the way of the team from St Louis Park. Brooke Quam put Joy ahead, before Tatum Trettel equalized. Brooke Nast and Ashley Bennett made sure of the points.
MapleBrook Fury 2-1 St Croix Legacy
Sunday
Minnesota Thunder 7-0 Dakota Fusion
Izzy Engle scored a hat trick, Grace Estby picked up two and Paige Peltier and Caroline Bailey scored single goals.
Sioux Falls City 5-0 Mankato United
Hailee Christensen with two, Katharina Oelschlager, Yui Fujii and Mia Bosch kept Sioux Falls in the hunt for the playoff spot.
Rochester United 0-6 Salvo
Khyah Harper scored a hat trick, Sophia Baresteh got two and Katelyn Buelke scored as the team from the Twin Cities lined up a potential playoff decider on Friday in Sioux Falls.
Coming Up:
Wednesday
St Croix Legacy v Mankato United
Minnesota Thunder v Rochester United
Friday
Dakota Fusion v Joy Athletic Club
Sioux Falls City v Salvo SC
Saturday
Mankato United v Manitou FC
Sunday
Dakota Fusion v Rochester United
Joy Athletic Club v MapleBrook Fury
St Croix Legacy v Sioux Falls City
Sunday July 7th:
MapleBrook Fury v Dakota Fusion
WPSL Spotlight: Joy Athletic v St Croix Legacy
Wednesday
Minnesota Thunder 8-0 Manitou FC
Doubles by Grace Estby and Caroline Bailey and single goals from Isabela Engle, Maddie Poor, Paige Peltier and Paige Kalal rocketed Thunder past Manitou.
St Croix Legacy 0-3 Salvo SC
St Croix made Salvo work in the opening hour, but a penalty kick from Khyah Harper broke the deadlock. The visitors added goals from Katelyn Beulke and Maddie Ishaug to close out a league leading fifth win, in the back and forth fight for the Northland’s playoff spot with Sioux Falls City.
Friday
Dakota Fusion FC 2-0 Manitou FC
This is Fusion’s first WPSL win since July of 2019 – a season when they accumulated the only two wins in team history. According to my research and the records of our predecessor E Pluribus Loonum, this is also their first ever clean sheet in 6 years of WPSL play. So the magnitude of this win may reverberate much further than just the 2024 standings for a club slated to launch a pro side in 2026.
As for the match on this humid Moorhead evening, Manitou travelled with just twelve players and Mandan, ND’s Sarah Burgum provided both the goals in a match otherwise dominated by shots nestling in the gloves of both goalkeepers.
Rochester United SC 0-1 Mankato United SC
Avery Korsching was the difference in the 88th minute, with a breakaway for the visitors.
Saturday Spotlight Match
Joy Athletic Club 1-1 St Croix Legacy
Dare Kroeten equalized two minutes after a St Croix lead given by Lexi Huber in the 53rd minute.
Sioux Falls City 5-0 MapleBrook Fury
City continue to apply pressure at the top of the Northern conference, with goals from five different scorers: Hailee Christensen, Jordan Tenpas, Katharina Oelschlaeger, McKenna Lehman and Mia Mullenmeister.
Sunday
Mankato United 6-0 Dakota Fusion
On a hot and humid day in Mankato, the home side rolled over Fusion. Goals were scored by Anna van Wyngarden, Avery Korsching, Jadyn Chee, Mia Deprenger, Marit Klagge and former Fusion player Maria Zanotti. Clare Longueville shut down the few chances the visitors had.
Coming Up
Tuesday
St Croix Legacy v Rochester United
Wednesday
Mankato United v Joy Athletic Club
MapleBrook Fury v Minnesota Thunder
Friday
Dakota Fusion v Sioux Falls City
Saturday
Manitou FC v Joy AC
MapleBrook Fury v St Croix Legacy
Sunday
Minnesota Thunder v Dakota Fusion
Sioux Falls City v Mankato United
Rochester United v Salvo
WPSL Wrap Up: Week 5
Week 5 of WPSL action sees the last two clubs in the North finally make their season debut (in St Croix’s case, after two postponements). More about that match later, here’s the full recap of the week’s action.
Wednesday
Salvo SC 1-0 Minnesota Thunder
A lone goal by Khyah Harper, from Molly Fiedler, gave last year’s national finalists a win against the defending conference champions.
Friday
Salvo 3-0 Mankato United
Khyah Harper from Riley Lijewski broke the deadlock in the 65th minute. Becca Smith from Khyah Harper in the 79th minute made it sure and there was a late own goal.
Dakota Fusion FC 0-3 St Croix Legacy
St Croix came into Fargo-Moorhead having seen two successive season openers (one at home and then one on the road) postponed. For Fusion, this is the regularly scheduled opener. They are the only two sides in the ten-team WPSL Northern Conference not to play yet this season. Legacy finished fourth in the conference standings having managed to finish the season without a single draw and a record of 5-4 in their nine games. Fusion also did not draw a single game, but accumulated a conference worst record of 0-9 and a goal difference of -43. The hosts have a new head coach, in the shape of Chris Andreasen, who was director of coaching at Red River Soccer Club before they merged with Fusion in the offseason.
After a strong opening to the match, two goals in six minutes provided some scoreboard separation as Avery Murdzek swept home from the top of the box in the twentieth minute and then her sister Lainey tapped in off a rebound after a blast from the middle of the box.
It would remain 2-0, as the visitors missed a number of chances to widen the margin but it would be the home side with the best chance, a penalty kick after a tangle of legs near the top of the box in the 51st minute. Unfortunately, the shot was hammered off the post and the rebound saved.
Five minutes later, Legacy hit the crossbar with a shot and near chances for Legacy would continue to be a theme, albeit with Fusion providing some of their own. Their best chance from open play cane in the 66th minute as a Fusion free kick just outside the box culminated in a shot on target, punched wide by Kendall Ellis.
The icing on the St Croix performance came when Lainey Murdzek tapped in, off the post and in from a Henneman cross in the 75th minute. Both clubs would force flying saves from the opposing keeper but it finished 3-0.
Sioux Falls City 2-0 Minnesota Thunder
Thunder fell further behind in the race for the conference, with Sioux Falls City getting goals from Mia Mullenmeister and Yui Fujii.
Joy Athletic 1-3 Rochester United FC
A twenty minute flurry for Rochester saw two from Kylie Miranto and one from Savannah Maley, before Lennon Folstad scored the home team’s only tally.
Sunday
Salvo SC 7-0 Dakota Fusion FC
Salvo steamrolled Fusion, with braces from Angela Gutierrez, Khyah Harper and Sophia Barjesteh and a solo goal from Alma Beaton.
📹 FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
All of @SalvoWPSL’s goals in one spot! pic.twitter.com/2A8dT8uYY2
— Equal Time Soccer (@EqualTimeSoccer) June 10, 2024
Manitou FC 0-6 Sioux Falls Thunder
Keyera Harmon, Yui Fujii, Katharina Oelschlaeger, Mia Mullenmeister and a double from Kaydence Ramirez put Manitou to the sword.
St Croix Legacy 2-1 Minnesota Thunder
Lainey Murdzek and Lexi Huber put the Legacy into the lead. Thunder got a consolation in the 78th minute, the well-practised combination of Paige Kalal to Paige Peltier with the goal.
Rochester United FC 0-0 MapleBrook Fury
Here is the top of the WPSL Northern Conference standings ahead of tomorrow’s games:

Coming Up:
Tonight
Minnesota Thunder v Manitou FC
Friday
Dakota Fusion FC v Manitou FC
Rochester United SC v Mankato United SC
Saturday
Joy Athletic Club v St Croix Legacy
Sioux Falls City v MapleBrook Fury
Sunday
Mankato United v Dakota Fusion
WPSL Wrap Up: Week 4
Friday
Mankato United 0-3 Minnesota Thunder
A comfortable win, with goals by Kaitlyn MacBean (from Paige Peltier), Paige Kalal (from Paige Peltier) and Kalal again (from Mackenzie Jacobson). Here's the opening two goals - the second showing stunning ball control, via our friends at Equal Time Soccer and courtesy of Mankato United:
https://twitter.com/EqualTimeSoccer/status/1796703091326099735
Rochester United 0-7 Sioux Falls City
An absolute rout for City on the road, with a hat trick from Mia Mullenmeister and goals from Kaydence Ramirez, Katharina Oelschlaeger and Isabella Boccia Gomes de Moraes.
Manitou FC 1-1 MapleBrook Fury
Manitou got a goal from Tatum Trettel, and MapleBrook scored through Olivia Lovick.
Sunday
Joy Athletic Club 1-3 Sioux Falls City
Allison Wehrman scored for the Goats but City continued their red hot start to the season, with goals from Hailee Christensen, Mia Mullenmeister and Lourdes Moreno.
MapleBrook Fury 1-2 Mankato United
Kendall Stadden scored for the hosts but Mankato claimed all three points with goals from Ava Stanchina and Avery Korsching.
Manitou FC 0-0 Mankato United
Coming Up
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Dakota Fusion FC v St Croix Legacy
Sioux Falls City v Minnesota Thunder
Joy Athletic v Rochester United FC
Sunday
Salvo SC v Dakota Fusion FC
St Croix Legacy v Minnesota Thunder
Rochester United FC v MapleBrook Fury
Manitou FC v Sioux Falls Thunder
WPSL North preview
Yes, it is too big but it features some of the best amateur players in the country, and some who have very recently been professionals. Let's look at the Northern Conference of the Women's Premier Soccer League.
Salvo SC
Having finished in second place in the North and taken a wildcard spot in the playoffs, Twin Cities-based Salvo made it all the way to the National Final before falling to a winner in the first minute of stoppage time and the end of the game by Charlotte Eagles. They were undefeated in the regular season, with two draws and six wins.
Minnesota Thunder
The regular season champions, but perennial refusers of a playoff berth, also finished undefeated, with seven wins and a draw. Kaitlyn MacBean went on a tear and finished the season with the most goals in the entire national league. The games between the two Twin Cities neighbors are usually fiercely contested.
Sioux Falls City FC
It's an exciting time in South Dakota, as the club prepare to launch a professional team in 2025 alongside the amateur side. They came third last season, behind Salvo on goal difference and with only one loss to their record (to Thunder).
Dakota Fusion FC
Just up the I-29 is another prospective WPSL PRO club (In their case 2026). Given the presence of North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota in the Red River Valley and the fact that their closest amateur rival is nearly 250 miles away, Fusion should have a more consistent pool of players than has been the case. Nonetheless, there is no getting away from the fact that the women's side often features a strong Fargoan component. Last season continued a trend of the club being unable to keep the ball out of the net. They finished with zero wins and a -43 goal difference.
Joy Athletic Club
Based out of St Louis Park, just to the west of Minneapolis and affiliated with St Paul non-profit Joy of the People, the Goats accumulated three wins, four losses and two draws.
MapleBrook Fury
Based in Maple Grove, a northwestern suburb of the Twin Cities, Fury tied Joy on 11 points but played two fewer games, accumulating a record of three wins, two draws and two losses.
Manitou FC
White Bear Lake, MN in the northeast of the Twin Cities metro is home to Manitou FC. The club finished the season with three wins, five losses and a draw.
St Croix Legacy
Based on the eastern edge of the Twin Cities metro, Legacy had a see-saw season, with five wins, four losses and no draws.
Mankato United
MUSC only managed two wins from nine matches, losing the other seven and finishing with a -10 goal difference.
Rochester United
United finished the season with only three wins and six losses, coupled to a -21 goal difference.
Sioux City Sol
Emerging from nowhere to Siouxland between Sioux Falls and Omaha, they are playing "6 to 8 sanctioned matches" this year and joining the North fully next year.
WPSL Wrap Up: Week 7/8
This Week
Wednesday
Manitou FC 0-1 Salvo
Katherine Jones struck the deciding blow, a rocket from twenty yards out, to give Salvo a win.
St Louis Scott Gallagher 2-0 Sunflower State FC
After a short trip across Missouri, from the Kansas border to the Illinois border, the visitors returned home with nothing to show for their neat passing, albeit with no end product. SLSG went ahead in the twenty-seventh minute, a free kick curled from twenty yards out past the Sunflower keeper and into the top corner of the net by Hannah Larson. Aubrey Mister leant a deserved gloss to the performance by bursting away from a Sunflower State attack on the edge of her own area and sprinting all the way down the other end to score.
Thursday
Kansas City Scott Gallagher 3-0 AFC Columbia
Keegan Good (who also picked up an assist) in the first half, Monica Brauner and Abby Hanson in the second half on the scoresheet for KCSG.
Friday
St Croix Legacy 7-0 Dakota Fusion
St Croix took the lead when Fusion keeper Quinn Carter came out to the edge of her area to sweep a ball clear but only succeeded in clearing the ball to Clare Cater, who chipped it past her and into the net in the fifteenth minute. In the forty-third minute, Carter once more came out to a long ball and the defender and goalie collided with an onrushing attacker, Anna Wagner, who tapped it in. Jenna Hallen put a shot on target and it was deflected home on an attempted goal line clearance for 3-0 in the fifty-ninth minute. Madison Gaffney hammered home the fourth goal of the game from outside the area off the near post in the sixty-third minute. Cater claimed her second only two minutes later, passing a ball from the left back position into the left hand side netting past Carter. Wagner connected on another long ball in behind to pick up her second of the day, and number six overall. Jordyn Jeffers made it 7-0 in the seventy-sixth minute, blasting a ball home from outside the area.
Sioux Falls City 3-0 Manitou FC
After devolving into SFC attack versus Manitou defense, Lourdes Moreno put City ahead in the fortieth minute, picking up a pass from McKenna Lehman before slotting the ball inside the near post from the top of the area. At half time, Barbie Castellanos was withdrawn because the referee identified that Sioux Falls City had played the first half with one too many player on their bench (and thus, in a league with unlimited re-entry, playing).
City made it 2-0 in the fifty-fourth minute as Kaylie Rock wrapped her foot around a ball at the top of the penalty box and drove it into the bottom left hand corner of the net. Rylee Haldeman basically scored a mirror image in the seventy-first minute, off a Jozy Bardsley pass. This game was the last ever competitive match for South Dakotan Hailee Fischer in net for Sioux Falls City.
Midwest Muskrats 0-4 Milwaukee Torrent
Torrent secured their Divisional title and a spot in the playoffs with a routine win over a struggling Muskrat team. Lainey Higgins opened the scoring with a free kick 22 yards out from goal, hammered into the roof of the net. Another firmly struck shot made it 2-0 from Adrianna Alberts. It was 3-0 just before the half as Camryn Ries slotted home.
Sofia Miranda completed the win with a nutmeg of the goalkeeper at her near post in the sixtieth minute.
KICS fall in this match and thus miss out on a chance to play the Torrent in what would have essentially been a play-in scenario, and is now academic. Hallie Peak and Reegan Hess got the goals for Raptors. Katelyn Robinson got the sole goal for the visitors.
It took Salvo until midway through the first half to break through but it was mostly a matter of the home side getting their rhythm and Katelyn Beulke eventually provided the pass from the right for Meredith Haakenson to tap home. In the thirty-sixth minute, Khyah Harper provided the finish on the break, striking firmly past the Rochester keeper.
The third goal came from an Emily Heslin free kick, 30 yards out on the right wing, tapped home by Harper after a close control in the six yard box in the fiftieth minute. A cross from the right was converted by Madison Ishaug in the fifty-fifth minute for 4-0. The fifth and final goal was a tap in by Loretta Wacek after a goalmouth scramble.
Saturday
Columbus Eagles 9-0 FC Spirit
Alivia Milesky, Gabi Hollar and two goals from Victoria Kevdzija in the opening half-hour put the Eagles well on the way to a spot in the playoffs. Lacey Bethea found Sydney Worthy for 5-0 in the 37th minute.
It was 6-0 early in the second half as Haley Miller tapped home. Bethea curled one into the top left corner of the goal from the edge of the area in the sixty-fifth minute. Annalise Grammel set up Katie Cox in the eighty-eighth minute for the eighth goal. Cox made it 9-0 in the ninetieth minute, flicking the ball home from short range.
Sunflower State FC 3-0 Lou Fusz
A backheeled pass by Mackenzie DiMarco across the top of the area led to a howitzer from Thayline Teixeira for a 1-0 lead to Sunflower in the twenty-fifth minute. Then there was some late action, with goals in the eighty-ninth and ninety-second minutes from Renee Berak and DiMarco respectively.
KC Courage 6-1 Kansas City Scott Gallagher
KC Courage secured the win and the playoff spot on the birthday of Courage coach Candice Fabry.
Having slowly racheted up the pressure, Courage went ahead in the seventeenth minute through Raheal Akaety's close range finish. KCSG had a solid chance in the twenty-fifth minute, but the keeper smothered it. KCC had a strong shout for a PK turned down in the thirty-second minute. They made it 2-0 in first half stoppage time, Courtney Claassen nearly breaking the net after a succession of chances in the area.
Kaira Houser scored the fourth goal on the break in the fifty-fifth minute. Another breakaway five minutes later by Addison Steiner made it four. It was 5-0 after Akaety headed home following head tennis from a short corner on the right in the sixty-fifth minute. KCSG got one back in the seventy-eighth minute as Caroline Carter connected on a left wing cross, pounding it back across the keeper. Another counter attack goal, this time by Houser , made it 6-1 in second half stoppage time.
Dayton Dutch Lions 0-6 FC Dayton
FC Dayton opened the derby scoring in the seventeenth minute, as an FCD attacker was body checked in the penalty area. Laney Huber converted the PK. Huber doubled the lead three minutes later, finishing a flowing move which started in their own penalty area. In the forty-third minute, Natalie Hegg finished off a rebound to make it 3-0.
Diana Benigno kickstarted the second half for FCD in a big way, rocketing a ball into the roof of the net from 25 yards out. Another PK was called in the fifty-eighth minute, as another attack was brought to an abrupt halt in the area, but the DDL keeper stepped up and stopped it. Alisa Arthur made it 5-0 on the hour mark, sweeping home from the middle of the area after a midfield interception. Abbi Maier completed the rout in the seventieth minute, blasting home from the edge of the area.
Sunday
Milwaukee Torrent 5-0 Chicago KICS
This match ended up not being the divisional showdown that it was looking like it would be, but Torrent decided to go into their home playoff match swinging. Adrianna Alberts opened the scoring in the eleventh minute, lobbing the goalkeeper from twenty yards out, like a golfer with a wedge. Katie Swenson from thirty-five yards out lasered a shot over the goalkeeper in the forty-fifth minute, to make it 2-0.
Greta Hanson scored the third goal, dribbling through contact and benefiting from a deflection off the keeper back into her path, in the seventieth minute. Lola Wojcik made it 4-0 in the seventy-ninth minute, dribbling through the middle before tapping home, falling down, from the penalty spot. Liesel Odden completed the scoring in the eighty-second minute, from seven yards out in the middle.
Quad Cities Rush 2-2 Iowa Raptors
Rush and Raptors play to a tie. Emily Bollman picked up both goals for Quad Cities, one from a PK and one from a Colleen Rumpza assist. Brynn Jacobi set up both Raptors goals, with Alexis Vasquez and Madisyn Hunt providing the finishes.
Wednesday 7/5
Sunflower State FC 0-2 Kansas City Scott Gallagher
This game was goal less through the first half, but Reiss Wood broke the deadlock in the seventy-fifth minute. A neat exchange of close passes led to a shot from just outside the penalty arc, swept inside the left-hand post. A ball in from the left was tapped home by Kate Gibson to make it 2-0 in the eighty-third minute, a harsh reflection of a relatively equal game.
Saturday
AFC Columbia 0-2 Lou Fusz
Lou Fusz scored the opening goal of the game through Emily Gaebe, in the seventh minute, who spun around and volleyed the ball into the goal from the top of the penalty area after a right wing corner was recycled and a first shot was blocked. Solid defending from AFCC held the visitors to one more goal, an eighty-seventh minute own goal.
Coming Up - Playoffs:
They start tonight, so strap in.
This is the only time of year when we pay attention to the Mountain Conference.
Colorado Rapids Women will play Utah Avalanche for the Mountain Conference, in a repeat of last year's mountain mash. 7pm MT kickoff.
FC Milwaukee Torrent will play Columbus Eagles FC for the Midwest Conference crown. 7pm CT kickoff.
For more on these match-ups, go here
The Heartland winners KC Courage gets a bye as winner of a conference with no divisions. Northern winners Minnesota Thunder have declined their invite because of player availability, so someone else will get their bye (since the North also only has one division).
WPSL Wrap Up: Week 5
This Week
Wednesday
Joy 1-8 Minnesota Thunder
On a day when most others canceled due to Canadian wildfire smoke, the visitors got off the bus from Plymouth wearing their hitting shoes and Paige Peltier made it 1-0 within the opening two minutes. Peltier then doubled the lead in the tenth minute, curling the ball beyond the Joy keeper from close range off a Kaitlyn MacBean pass. MacBean added a goal herself in the 21st, tapping home on the rebound after a save. It was 4-0 in the thirty-seventh minute as a firmly hit shot cannoned off the left hand post but the rebound fell to Taylor Heimerl. It was 5-0 as Kendall Stadden sniped one home in the forty-third minute. A left wing corner was headed home by Sofia Cabellero in first half stoppage time to make it 6.
Joy made it 6-1 in the fiftieth minute, Dara Kroeten with a blast from twenty yards out. Just before the hour mark, Peltier took another close range shot from a recycled corner and netted her hat trick. A header by Stadden from a corner made it 8-1 in the eighty-third minute.
KC Scott Gallagher 4-1 Sunflower State
Sunflower State took a third minute lead on the road after a left wing cross was met by Renee Brock, but unfortunately for them, that would be the high point of the match. KCSG equalized in the eleventh minute through Jordyn Wilson, taking on the entire Sunflower defense before slotting home from midway through the penalty area. A bullet header from the top of the box by Calynn Harbert from a right wing corner put KCSG ahead in the twenty-second minute. Kate Gibson got onto the end of a very long free kick punted from midfield to make it 3-1 just before the half.
The only goal of the second half came in the fifty-fourth minute, when KCSG broke from a defensive corner and out sprinted the Sunflower defense for Wilson to pick up her second of the match.
St Louis Scott Gallagher 4-1 Lou Fusz
The St. Louis derby went the way of Scott Gallagher again. SLSG's first goal of the day was scored after eleven minutes through Jessica Larsen. The lead was doubled when Brionna Halverson lofted the ball into the top left hand corner of the net on the dribble. Katie Hauck made it 3-0. Lou Fusz got on the scoreboard in the fortieth minute after an attacker took advantage of an interception in midfield to turn and face her defender before placing the ball with precision and power into the side netting on the far post. The last goal came in the fifty-fifth minute as Ashley Martinez blasted home from the top of the box after a scramble where the visitors just could not clear the ball.
Thursday
Mankato United 1-3 St Croix Legacy
On the pristine pitch at Bethany Lutheran, Kato and St Croix went in search of their second win. Legacy opened the scoring on the counter attack, Anna Wagner smashing a ball into the top left hand corner of the goal while running full speed to her right along the top of the United box. Both sides had possession but it was St Croix who were the most threatening. The lead was doubled on another clinical attack in the forty-first minute, Laney Murdzek passed down the gut of the Mankato defense and Lauren Heinsch finished from close in.
Late in the second half, Mankato broke through with Ava Stanchina curling a ball from the right back berth across the goalkeeper into the far post. Laney Murdzek made it 3-1 in the ninetieth minute, as a free kick from 20 yards out went through the hands of the Mankato keeper.
Friday
Minnesota Thunder 3-1 Sioux Falls City
A much closer match than the eventual scoreline suggests, Minnesota Thunder nonetheless continue their red-hot start to the season. After a back and forth opening twenty minutes, it was the home side who made the breakthrough. Kaitlyn MacBean rose to head home from 6 yards out after a scramble in the box. City got their sole tally of the match on a blistering free kick from Lety Bonifacio from right on the edge of the penalty arc in the thirty-third minute. City also hit the crossbar before the two sides retired for half time.
The second half began with City still threatening, with a ball fizzing across the goal in the fiftieth minute. After another period of even possession, Thunder put their foot on the accelerator and accumulated a bunch of corners. In the fifty-eighth minute, the home side went back ahead - Megan Nemec scoring from a long, acute angle. Thunder continued to colonize the corner flag and Maddie Poor made it 3-1 with a volley from the edge of the area after a corner was headed out. See more of this match with our photo gallery
Midwest Muskrats 4-0 Quad Cities Rush
Muskrats eventually won, but it took a deflection and a save before Kailyn Smith knocked the ball home from close range to put the hosts ahead. Smith bundled home a second as a corner went all the way to the back post in the fiftieth minute. Kelly Schaffer made it 3-0, five minutes later, intercepting an attempted pass along the backline. In the seventy-ninth minute, Olivia Hernandez picked up the fourth goal - sliding the ball past the keeper and a covering defender.
Iowa Raptors 2-6 Milwaukee Torrent
Torrent fell behind 2-0 to the hosts before scoring six unanswered, with braces for Lainey Higgins, Elsie Twombly and Sydnee Sagal.
Dayton Dutch Lions 3-3 FC Spirit
A snap shot from just outside the area in the eighth minute by Addie Erslan put DDL ahead. Patient build up led to the equalizer, Katelyn Cavanaugh slid home under the advancing keeper. The Lions re-established their lead in the twentieth minute as Carley Groh slotted home in the break.
Spirit once more tied the game on a free kick absolutely obliterated from just ten yards out by Ella Hamner. With two minutes of stoppage time elapsed, a speculative effort by FC Spirit's Claudia Melgar somehow fooled the DDL keeper and saw the goalie flap at the ball as it went past. The Lions had one final effort to equalize and did so on the break, Erslan claiming her second of the day.
Saturday
Chicago KICS 8-0 Quad Cities Rush
After a relatively open first quarter of an hour, it increasingly became a battle of KICS offense versus the sweeper keeping of Allison Mirimanian. Josie Bieda broke through in the eighteenth minute, on the counter after an interception in midfield. They doubled their lead only four minutes later, Bieda connecting on a lightning counter after a defensive goal kick. A long diagonal ball to the right hand top of the box was received by Caroline Lyman , who beat the onrushing goalie to the ball and lifted it over for 3-0 in the 31st minute. Rush conceded five corners to none and had zero shots on target in the first half.
KICS took their lead even further in the forty-eighth minute, Karli Ferguson tapping home from close in. Ferguson scored her second in the fifty-fifth minute, winding her way through three defenders before beating Mirimanian to the far post. A deflected shot by Ella Skelton made it 6-0 in the fifty-eighth. Alexis Parker adder her name to the scoresheet with a close range finish from a right wing run, only two minutes later. Parker got her second in the sixty-fourth minute, to make it 8-0.
Dakota Fusion 1-14 Salvo
The visitors got off to a flier in Moorhead, Khyah Harper eviscerating a ball into the top right hand corner of Quinn Carter's net in the second minute, after a run down the right. K. Harper doubled the lead in the ninth minute in very similar fashion. Katelyn Beulke made it 3-0 just two minutes later, with a bullet header off a right wing cross. A long shot cannoned off the crossbar and off Carter before it was dispatched by Beulke. Meredith Haakenson then followed up a minute later with Salvo's fifth goal, on a close range finish. Mason Kimbal smuggled the goal in for Fusion from a corner in the twenty-eighth minute. Madison Ishaug made it 6-1 with a close range finish from a left wing pass in the thirty-fifth minute. Loretta Wacek scored number 7 in a similar fashion in the thirty-seventh minute. Harper grabbed her hat trick in the thirty-eighth minute, also from in close. Sophia Boman finished for the ninth goal IN THE FIRST HALF.
Another close range finish in the fifty-fifth minute was Wacek's second of the game. Two minutes later, Boman unleashed a shot from twenty yards out for her second of the game. Ella Conger scored number twelve, off the underside of the crossbar in the sixty-third minute. Conger then scored with yet another close finish, in the eighty-fifth minute and she completed her hat trick in similar fashion just a minute later.
Pride opened the scoring in the sixteenth minute, with Paige Miller finishing from close in after a run and a defensive miscue. A long shot in the twenty-first minute by Dana Fish wrong-footed the Eagles keeper for 2-0. Caroline Kelley cleaned up after a free kick from eighteen yards out was saved in first half stoppage time. Fish chipped the keeper for 4-0. A close range finish in the ninetieth minute by Celeste Sloma spoiled the Pride clean sheet.
AFC Columbia 0-3 Sunflower State
Sunflower took all three against the struggling CoMO. The goals came from Sofia Hughes, Jessica Baker and Jaylie Hicklin.
FC Dayton 7-0 FC Spirit
No contest in the Gem City, as Madelyn Mozeleski, Lainey Huber, and Jenna Hallbeck claimed goals and Megan Smith and Dara Russo claimed braces. Hallbeck and Huber also claimed assists, along with Maddie Thiss, Heidi Orloff and two from Ava Hall.
Lou Fusz Athletic 1-3 KC Scott Gallagher
Lou Fusz went ahead on the break after only five minutes as Maggie Illig scored but KCSG equalized in the twenty-eighth, through Keegan Good , connecting with a long ball upfield. The visitors then went ahead in first half stoppage time, Good pinging the ball off the inside of the post from the edge of the area.
KCSG extended their lead just before the hour mark when Good lofted a ball past the diving keeper into the roof of the net from the top of the box for her hat trick.
Sunday
St Louis Scott Gallagher 4-2 AFC Columbia
Early start, early finish as this 11am kick off was called at the 70 minute mark due to lightning.
Hannah Larson opened the scoring for Scott Gallagher in the tenth minute. Jessica Larson then made it 2-0 from inside the area. AFC Columbia halved the deficit before SLSG scored a third to go into the half. Both sides scored in the first portion of the second half but the players left the field and did not return.
St Croix Legacy 1-0 Manitou FC
St Croix took all three points with a seventy-fifth minute winner, Marisa Bonilla with the sliding finish from her seat after a long ball in from the right wing to the six yard box by Avery Murdzek.
Lou Fusz Athletic 1-5 KC Courage
Courage opened the scoring in the thirteenth min, Addison Steiner blasting a ball home from twenty yards out. The visitors doubled their lead with a 25 yard screamer in the thirty-second from Aya Saiki. Lou Fusz halved the deficit in the forty-fourth minute, Emily Gaebe slotting home on the run from the right wing.
Courage scored again in the 53rd through Rahael Akaety and again in the 57th, lifting the ball into the side netting on the far post while running away from goal on the right. It was 5-1 in the 75th minute, Abigail Small with another bomb from deep in midfield.
Columbus Eagles 8-0 Dayton Dutch Lions
Twenty minutes of goalless football and pressure by the Eagles were ended by Nikki Cox, who chipped the ball in from an acute angle. It was a 1-0 hammering but Gabrielle Hollar hammered a shot from just outside the box off the post, and the rebound fell to Abby Townsend to make it a two goal lead. A soft clearance in second half stoppage time by the Dayton goalkeeper fell to Avery Schone, who blasted the ball back the way it came.
Victoria Kevdzija delivered a right wing corner all the way onto the head of Alivia Milesky on the goal-line to make it 4-0. Another in-swinging corner from Kevdzija was headed home five minutes later, this time by Townsend for her second. Goal number six in the sixty-seventh minute was an Olimpico by Kevdzija from the right wing. Sydney Worthy scored the seventh goal from a defense splitting pass from Tori Haggit. Townsend secured her hat trick in the ninetieth minute, belting the ball past the keeper at her near post from the top of the area.
Sioux Falls City 3-0 Rochester United
City went for a stroll in the Sioux Falls sunshine. After ten minutes of incessant pressure, it was an interception in midfield which sprung Juni Ejere to make it 1-0, Mckenna Lehman with the through-ball. Barbie Castellanos made it two in the twentieth minute, from a Rylee Haldeman cross tipped by the Rochester keeper. City's third goal came in the thirty-third minute as Kaylie Rock slotted in at the near post from a Kendra Park pass.
Chicago KICS 2-1 Milwaukee Torrent
After an end-to-end match, KICS took control of this Lake Michigan derby in the fifty-eighth minute, McKenna Shaw connecting with a right wing cross from Josie Bieda, chesting it down and slotting it home. The margin was doubled eight minutes later when Megan Hutchison volleyed home a left wing corner from Ebba Costow. Torrent scored in second half stoppage time, Elsi Twombly blasting a goal from the top of the box. The result marks the first lost points of a previously 3-0-0 Torrent squad and the first goals that the Wisconsinites had conceded. It also puts KICS on top of the division, albeit having played a game more.
Mankato United 0-1 MapleBrook Fury
Paige Goaley scored the only goal off a Morgan Barnette assist, with the ball squirming free from the grasp of the Mankato goalkeeper into the net.
Tuesday
Joy 1-0 Dakota Fusion
Although it was an end to end opening twenty-five minutes prior to the game's first hydration break, Fusion tested the gloves of the Joy keeper more. After the break, the Goats had more substantial pressure on the visitors' goal but the first half finished scoreless.
The deadlock was broken in the fifty-fifth minute as a shot was palmed directly into the path of Sophie Pawlyshyn, who supplied the easy finish. Both sides had chances before the game's second hydration break in the seventieth minute, but it remained 1-0. Despite a furious few minutes of last ditch attacking from Fusion, the visitors lacked a cutting edge and failed to score.
Coming Up
Tonight
Rochester United v Minnesota Thunder - 7pm CT
Thursday
Kansas City Scott Gallagher v KC Courage - 7pm CT
Friday
Mankato United v Rochester United - 7pm CT
MapleBrook Fury v Joy Athletic Club - 7pm CT
Sioux Falls City v Dakota Fusion - 7pm CT
Saturday
Sunflower State FC v St Louis Scott Gallagher - 4:30pm CT
Midwest Muskrats v Iowa Raptors - 5pm CT
Quad Cities Rush v Chicago KICS - 5pm CT
Sunday
Milwaukee Torrent v Iowa Raptors - 3pm CT
Dakota Fusion v Minnesota Thunder - 3pm CT
Mankato United v Salvo - 5pm CT
MapleBrook Fury v Sioux Falls City - 6pm CT
Columbus Eagles v FC Dayton - 8pm ET
Tuesday
Joy Athletic Club v Mankato United - 7pm CT
WPSL Wrap Up: Week 3
This Week
Wednesday
KC Courage 1-1 Sunflower State FC
Having lost narrowly to their neighbors in their home match, Sunflower State went ahead with the last kick of the first half, when Lexie Ruf broke away from midfield and slotted calmly past the onrushing keeper. Courage had a good chance at the start of the second half, but the ball was saved for a corner - which subsequently came to nothing. In the 53rd minute, Sunflower had a free kick from 20 yards out but were unable to capitalize. With only eight minutes left, Courage got the equalizer, Jaycie Johnson chipping it over the goalkeeper after a defense splitting pass at the top of the area from Raheal Akaety.
Iowa Raptors 3-1 Quad Cities Rush
Alexis Vasquez, Jessica Reinhart and Camille Landphair scored for Raptors. Emily Bollman claimed the consolation for Rush.
Manitou FC 2-4 Minnesota Thunder
Thunder broke the deadlock emphatically in the forty-ninth minute as Paige Kalal drove in from the right and unleashed a shot from the edge of the box, into the far side netting. The lead was doubled in the fifty-second minute as a ball was crossed in from close to the touchline on the right, headed in by Caroline Bailey. The exhibition of fire-power continued in the fifty-sixth minute, Paige Peltier blasting the ball past the Manitou keeper from 30 yards out. Thunder also rattled the crossbar in the sixty-second minute, although the ball stayed out. Manitou were the beneficiaries of a goalkeeping mistake in the seventy-second minute, as Thunder's goalie rushed out of her area but was beaten to the ball by Denise Hamdan who chipped the ball back past her into the unguarded net. It was 3-2 in the eighty-fifth minute as the Thunder goalkeeper again misjudged a ball into her area and Hamdan tapped it home. It was 4-2 in stoppage time at the end of the game, as Kalal side-footed home from the edge of the penalty area.
Thursday
FC Pride 3-0 FC Spirit
A lung-busting run down the left by Abby Lynch was squared to Paige Miller, who tapped home to put the home team ahead after only 9 minutes. A left wing corner in the fifty-third minute was played short to Samantha King who dribbled down the endline and blasted in at the near post. Addy Joiner picked up the third goal, on a Samantha King assist.
Friday
Manitou FC 2-0 Dakota Fusion FC
A ball recycled from a corner in the seventy-fifth minute was pumped back into the box and the high bouncing ball was missed by everyone but Denise Hamdan who walked the ball in. Manitou made the match safe with the last kick of play, tracking down and battling for a ball down the left, with the runner, Sarah Strating winning a challenge and finishing.
MapleBrook Fury 3-4 Rochester United FC
The visitors opened the scoring through Maysa Walters in the fourth minute, a daisy-cutting rasper from 30 yards out, past the Fury keeper. They then put together a passage of play where they looked untroubled but failed to increase their lead, and it was MapleBrook who equalized in the thirty-fifth minute after an interception in midfield and a straightforward pass to set Izzy Smith on goal, slotting home from an acute angle into the net. However, Rochester came right back with a defense splitting pass and goal of their own through Franciele Cupertino. The pendulum swung the way of the home side once more in the thirty-sixth minute as another direct pass through the heart of the United defense saw defenders frozen, appealing for offside, only to see Smith finish it off for her second goal and tie the game.
The second half started like the first, with Rochester United on the front foot and going ahead again in the forty-ninth minute as Samara Nunn received a dinked ball in from the left and shot past the Fury keeper. The visitors then went further ahead through Walters's second goal of the game in the seventy-first minute, a beautifully flighted free kick from 30 yards out on the right wing all the way through and over the goalkeeper into the left side netting. MapleBrook had a chance to halve the deficit in the seventy-sixth minute but a PK was scuffed into the waiting knees of a sliding Rochester goalie. When the third goal did come, in the eighty-third minute by Kaitlynn Delveaux off a corner, it was too late for Fury to rally any more.
Sioux Falls City 0-0 Joy Athletic Club
Since you are reading this, the chances are you are au fait with the complaints about there not being enough scoring in football (weirdly, even an accusation levelled by hockey fans). To indulge that would be to miss out on entertaining fayre like this match, which included multiple chances on goal and an ambitious overhead kick. It also thoroughly devalues defense and defenders, which after all make up ~ half of the team. Finally, it seems appropriate on a day when City posted this:
https://twitter.com/SiouxFallsCity/status/1664783963393519618?s=20
An inefficient but eventually successful night for Salvo, with two goals in as many minutes settling this local derby. The first goal, in the seventy-seventh minute saw Sophia Boman square a ball for Ansley Atkinson to tap home. The second goal came as Boman cut in from the left and volleyed the ball past the St. Croix goalkeeper.
Lou Fusz Athletic 2-2 St Louis Scott Gallagher
A misplayed header by a defender set the scene, but Hannah Larson settled the ball and switched it to her other foot before firing SLSG into the lead in the fourth minute. The home side equalized just after half time, with a long cross-field pass by Scott Gallagher intercepted by Emily Gaebe, who out-sprinted the defense and slotted home. SLSG retook the lead in the 57th minute, Aubrey Mister unleashing a ferocious shot which crashed down off the crossbar and went in. Logan Racine snatched a point for the home side in this St. Louis derby, finishing off a free kick when SLSG made several unsuccessful attempts to clear.
Saturday
Courage got into an early lead after Riley Smith bundled the ball home from close range, bouncing over the keeper. The home side went up two in the twelfth minute when Addison Steiner blasted a ball from 35 yards out. In the thirtieth minute, it was 3-0, as a ball was pumped into the area and Courtney Claassen beat the keeper to the bouncing ball. In the thirty-fifth minute, Kaira Houser slid the ball inside of a defender and smashed the ball into the top corner from 20 yards out to make it a four-goal first half margin. A neat interchange down the left was finished off by Claassen in the sixtieth minute for five. Another firmly hit shot from the edge of the area in the sixty-fifth minute by Miyako Hallier made it 6-0.
Iowa Raptors 1-3 Midwest Muskrats
Alexis Vasquez scored for the Raptors. Muskrats won with goals from Bridget Sherman, Olivia Hernandez and an own goal.
Lou Fusz Athletic 3-1 Sunflower State FC
Sunflower took the lead in the 24th minute, Mackenzie DiMarco outpacing the defense in trademark fashion. Lou Fusz equalized with a hard, lofted shot into the roof of the net only four minutes later from Emily Gaebe . The home side then took the lead with a solo run from Margaret Duggan ending with a hard shot into the far side netting. It was 3-1 after Gaebe scored her second of the match.
Dayton Dutch Lions 0-6 Columbus Eagles
Nikki Cox opened the scoring for the visitors in the opening two minutes, capitalizing on a cross from the left. It was 2-0 after Katie Cox converted a free kick in the seventh minute, lifting the ball from just behind the D of the penalty area into the top right hand corner of the Dutch Lions goal. The home side had their first shot on goal shortly after, but could not score. The third goal came from Victoria Kevdzija in the fifteenth minute, volleying into the top corner after a driven shot by Abby Townsend was stopped by the keeper. It was Townsend who then turned scorer in the twentieth minute as another shot on goal snuck under the Dayton keeper's dive. The fifth goal was a neatly flicked header from the penalty spot by Gabrielle Hollar from a short cross just after half time. The last goal of the match, blasted in from the right wing, 30 yards out, into the top left hand corner of the goal - with 60 minutes on the clock. When the match entered a weather delay, play did not resume.
Alaina Huber claimed a hat trick, and Alisa Arthur, Marlee Taylor and Jenna Hallbeck also scored as Dayton vault to the top of their division. Addy Joiner scored for Pride.
Sunday
St Louis Scott Gallagher 2-0 Kansas City Scott Gallagher
An unsurprising victory for the senior club in the Scott Gallagher system. SLSG opened the scoring in the 30th minute, Izzy Patterson poking past a despairing KC keeper. It was 2-0 in first half stoppage time as Abby Miller redirected a cross from the right, past the keeper.
Quad Cities Rush 0-7 Milwaukee Torrent
Continuing their red-hot goalscoring form, Torrent notched a big road win. Layla Kelbel picked up a hat trick and Elsi Twombly a brace, as well as Alexa Maletis and Lauren Hernandez also scoring.
Dakota Fusion 0-6 MapleBrook Fury
The visitors broke the deadlock in the tenth minute, Paige Goaley sweeping home from a corner which pinballed around the six yard box. (Goaley plays her collegiate soccer just over the river at North Dakota State in Fargo) Fusion had a chance to equalize in the thirteenth minute, but the pass across the penalty area did not find a home boot. MapleBrook had a strong call for a penalty not given in the thirty-eighth minute after a player was seemingly taken down. Morgan Barnette scored on a flukey sequence with a bouncing ball just beating the Fusion keeper on it's way through the penalty area. A lightning delay caused an hour-long delay to the second half but MapleBrook came back on the pitch hungry for more goals and scored a third goal in auspicious circumstances in the forty-seventh minute, as a corner was punched into her own net by Quinn Carter. It was 4-0 in the sixty-seventh as a PK was awarded and dispatched by Alyssa Marceau. The fifth goal came via a long, direct free kick up field which was flicked on by Barnette and past Carter in the seventy-fifth minute. In the eighty third minute, Goaley hit the post from Fury's second PK of the day and then hit the post from a recycled shot, before Barnette finished it off for her hat trick*. It is a strange thing to say of a blowout loss, but Carter had multiple great saves and on another day could have kept the match closer.
* Morgan Barnette has been credited with a goal, where I have noted a Carter own goal, giving her an extraordinary four in one match.
A last minute winner for Allyson Hamski was the difference for the team from White Bear Lake.
It took until the second half, and an own goal at that, to break the deadlock between these sides - although Eagles more than deserved their lead. The lead was doubled on a neat interchange of close passes in the penalty area, finished by Avery Schone. Victoria Kevdzija scored number three on the day off a defense splitting pass. Gabrielle Hollar completed the scoring, drifting inside from the left before blasting the ball into the net.
Minnesota Thunder 1-1 Salvo SC
After a back and forth opening to the match, Salvo's Meredith Haakenson struck first in the 9th minute, slotting home from close range. The visitors had a good chance to go up two in the twenty-sixth minute but a lung-busting run down the right terminated at the feet of a defender. Thunder equalized in the seventy-fifth minute, a Paige Kalal corner headed in by Paige Peltier. Thunder put pressure on the Salvo goal, but ultimately these two contenders both claim a point.
Tuesday
Midwest Muskrats 1-3 Chicago KICS
From the Southside to the South Shore and a bit further south, the KICS took all three from their road trip to St John, IN with goals from Josie Bieda, Ebba Costow and Isabella Cook. The Scrats' solo goal came from Olivia Shaw.
Coming Up
Tonight
FC Spirit v Dayton Dutch Lions - 6pm CT
Minnesota Thunder v Mankato United - 7pm CT
Rochester United v Manitou FC - 7pm CT
Thursday
Kansas City Scott Gallagher v St Louis Scott Gallagher - 4pm CT
Lou Fusz Athletic v AFC Columbia - 7:30pm CT
Friday
Chicago KICS v Midwest Muskrats - 6pm CT
Mankato United v Sioux Falls City - 6pm CT
Rochester United v Dakota Fusion - 6pm CT
Milwaukee Torrent v Quad Cities Rush - 7pm CT
Minnesota Thunder v St Croix Legacy - 7pm CT
FC Dayton v Dayton Dutch Lions - 7pm CT
Saturday
FC Spirit v FC Pride - 2pm CT
AFC Columbia v KC Courage - 3pm CT
MapleBrook Fury v Manitou FC - 8pm CT
Sunday
St Louis Scott Gallagher v KC Courage - 2pm CT
Quad Cities Rush v Midwest Muskrats - 3pm CT
FC Spirit v FC Dayton - 3pm CT
Dakota Fusion v Mankato United - 4pm CT
Sioux Falls City v St Croix Legacy - 4pm CT
Chicago KICS v Iowa Raptors - 5pm CT
Salvo v Joy - 7pm CT