歪歪漫画

EMPORIA, Kan. 鈥� There鈥檚 a common sports adage about how it鈥檚 tough to beat a team three times in a single season. And while the Beavers鈥� Central Region Tournament quarterfinal match against St. Cloud State wasn鈥檛 broadcast on the Discovery Channel, they decided to do some myth-busting anyway.

The sixth-seeded Bemidji State women鈥檚 soccer team beat the No. 3 Huskies for the third time this season, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament on the back of a 1-0 win. It鈥檚 also the third time the Beavers shut out SCSU, a team that finished third in the NSIC in scoring, this season.

鈥淭he challenge is in the familiarity,鈥� head coach Jim Stone said. 鈥淥ffensively, it becomes challenging, because the more you understand your opponents, the more you can break them down. I think that鈥檚 why you saw a really tight 1-0 game today. They know who we are, we know who they are. It kind of played out accordingly.鈥�

BSU was dealt an added amount of adversity before Friday鈥檚 tilt. Junior goalkeeper Edie Frantzen started every game for the Beavers between the pipes. However, she was held out of the first-round game with an injury.

Courtesy / ESU Photos Services

鈥淥bviously, we鈥檙e hoping and praying that Edie can get back healthy and as quickly as possible,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 day-to-day, and that鈥檚 how we鈥檙e taking it. We鈥檙e listening to our athletic trainer in terms of her expertise and leaning on her for when we get that green light.鈥�

Ana Steadman stepped up. In her first-ever collegiate start, the freshman from Little Falls made seven saves and recorded a clean sheet.

鈥淎na exemplified the team spirit and the idea that the next person is going to be ready,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淪he was ready, and all of that training paid off. We鈥檙e really proud of her in how she approached the game so confidently. I thought the backline did a great job in front of her. You could kind of see her confidence as the game went along and the team鈥檚 confidence. That was pretty neat to see.鈥�

Sylve Waters was inches from scoring the game-winning goal in BSU鈥檚 NSIC Tournament game against the Huskies. Her shot aimed toward the bottom-left corner of the goal ricocheted off the post, leaving a rebound for Katrina Barthelt to give Bemidji State the lead.

A week later, Waters got a second chance against SCSU. She received a beautiful through ball from Emma Huelsnitz in the midfield, then buried a similar shot past St. Cloud State keeper Jaylee Strickland.

鈥淪he鈥檚 just been coming into her own,鈥� Stone said of Waters. 鈥淪he鈥檚 always had the athleticism and the mindset offensively. But she鈥檚 coming into her own around the goal lately. She鈥檚 starting to understand how to score goals at this level, and that鈥檚 really exciting for us.鈥�

Huelsnitz didn鈥檛 start a game until Nov. 2 against Minnesota Duluth, which was the start of the Beavers鈥� five-game win streak. Huelsnitz has not come off the field in any of those five games.

鈥淓mma is a big piece of our program,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 just getting better with each and every game. She can provide in so many different ways. 鈥� She鈥檚 just so good on the ball. You saw that with her vision and the ball she played through, and the placement of the pass was pretty high-level. That鈥檚 a luxury when you have that in a center back.鈥�

BSU is back at it at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19, against No. 2 Emporia State.

Bemidji State 1, St. Cloud State 0

BSU 1 0 鈥� 1

SCSU 0 0 鈥� 0

Bemidji State 鈥� Waters 6鈥� (Huelsnitz).

St. Cloud State 鈥� No scoring.

Saves 鈥� Steadman (BSU) 7; Strickland (SCSU) 3.