MOORHEAD, Minn. — Minnesota State Moorhead soccer team continued to compete and create offensive opportunities Sunday afternoon against a daunting University of Mary squad. The Marauders defeated the Dragons 6-0.
Moorhead honored its three seniors, Lilly Allen, Lizzy Jaraczeski and Clara Paleen, as part of the match.
The Dragons showed attacking intent throughout the opening half, putting five shots on the board while working to find a response against the Marauders. Clara Butler tested Mary goalkeeper Kadyn Dilger in the 18th minute, forcing a save, while Kaci Malo, Mary Cox, Sophie Thompson and Lauryn Katzenberger also recorded first-half shots.
Mary opened the scoring in the fifth minute on a goal from star forward Dina Polanco. Polanco added a penalty-kick goal in the 32nd minute before completing her hat trick late in the first half, sending the Marauders into the break with a 3-0 advantage.
MSUM continued to look for opportunities after halftime, with Allen and Malo each recording shots as the Dragons worked to generate offense. The Dragons finished with nine total shots, including two on goal, and spread their attempts among several players. Allen and Butler each put a shot on target.
The Marauders added three second-half goals to complete the scoring. Chloe Brand scored in the 51st minute, followed by two goals from Maggie Bono in the 60th and 62nd minutes.
In goal, Emilia Bukholt Kristensen made one save in 58 minutes of action before Allison Mastrangelo entered in relief. Mastrangelo added a save during her 32 minutes on the field, giving the Dragons two saves for the match.
While the final score was difficult, the Dragons continued to give multiple players opportunities to contribute, with several reserves seeing action in the second half. MSUM's nine shots also reflected a willingness to push forward and seek scoring chances against a Mary team that entered the contest with a 12-2-3 record. Paleen and Allen, who typically play in MSUM's backline, moved to forward positions late in the match.
Up Next
The Dragons (3-12-2, 2-11-1 NSIC) conclude the regular season on Thursday against Minnesota Crookston with kickoff set for 1 p.m. The match will take place indoors at Fargo Parks Sports Center.
