NDSU vs. Minnesota-Gold – October 2, 2004

The Bison played their toughest opponent of the season thus far, the University of Minnesota Gold team. The Gophers placed third in the nation last season. U of M Gold also came into the game undefeated on the season, winning all of their games by at least 3 goals. NDSU played well, but ended up losing 2-1. The Bison started the game well and created a couple of scoring opportunities, but the Gophers quickly took control of the game. About 20 minutes into the game, the U of M capitalized on a quick set of passes and put a shot past NDSU goalkeeper Ian Costello for a 1-0 lead. The Gophers attacked much more throughout the first half, but the Bison defense and Costello were able to keep NDSU with a 1-0 deficit at halftime. Minnesota started the second half with a corner kick that was finished by an excellent header into the corner of the net, giving the Gophers a 2-0 lead. The Bison didn’t let down after the goal, and the play in the second half was much more even than in the first half. With 10 minutes left in the game, NDSU got on the scoreboard with a great passing sequence started by Taylor Zimmerman and Nathan Shubert and finished off by Brad Bateman. However, the Bison were not able to get the equalizer. The loss set NDSU’s record to 3-3, while Minnesota Gold improved to 5-0.