NDSU vs. Minnesota State University-Moorhead – October 6, 2004

The Bison kept their conference winning streak alive against the Dragons, scoring a 3-1 victory over MSUM at Johnson Soccer Complex in Fargo. NDSU took control of the game at the outset, passing very well and moving nicely without the ball. The Bison were rewarded for their sharp play 10 minutes into the game when Jeff Maas sent an excellent through pass to Tim Pohfal, who calmly put the ball away for the game’s first goal. Shortly after the goal, the Bison strayed from their game plan a bit and tried too many long passes instead of building the attack. The last half of the first period looked more like a track meet than a soccer game, with both teams attempting lots of long passes. The strategy didn’t work for either team, especially since it was a windy night on a short, hard field. Bison first half goalkeeper Ian Costello saved both shots on net from MSUM and the first half ended 1-0. Both teams started the second half with lots of energy, and the first 15 minutes of the half were a stalemate with lots of back and forth action. MSUM finally got on the board from a through pass that was just barely onsides; the initial shot went off the post, and a Dragon midfielder put the rebound away to tie the game. However, NDSU quickly struck back to regain the lead. Sham Funk made a brilliant pass off of a free kick to a wide open Nate Chandler, and Chandler got the lead back just 2 minutes after the Dragons had scored. The goal really helped the Bison regain control of the play, and they dominated the remainder of the game. NDSU got an insurance goal with 10 minutes left in the game, when Chandler sent a pass that was settled by Brad Bateman, who made a great move around the defense and scored his second goal in three games. The fourth consecutive GPSC victory sets the Bison’s record at 5-3 overall and 4-1 in the conference. The loss dropped MSUM’s overall record to 2-4-1 and 2-2-1 in the Great Plains Soccer Conference.