NDSU at Minnesota State University-Moorhead – October 19, 2005

The Bison dropped their fourth straight game in a heartbreaking, hard-fought 2-1 loss to MSUM on a clear October Wednesday evening in Fargo. The game between the two rivals was once again played with great intensity by both teams. Neither team had much of an advantage for the first 15 minutes, with most of the play staying in the middle of the field. The Dragons then started connecting on passes, and they struck first in the 15th minute. A Dragon forward got the ball just inside the penalty area and made a nice chip over Bison netminder Nate Fitterer. He then collected the ball right before the goal line and tapped it in to give MSUM a 1-0 lead. The Dragons continued to pressure the ball and were very active all over the field, but NDSU also improved their play. Towards the end of the first half, the Bison were finally able to get some quality opportunities by spreading the field and making quicker passes. However, they weren’t able to find the net, with many shots being deflected or going just wide. NDSU midfielder Taylor Zimmerman had the best scoring chance for the Bison in the first half, but his right-footed chip shot struck the crossbar. The first half ended with the Dragons holding onto their one goal lead, but the Bison didn’t let the score line stay that way for long once the second half got underway. In the 53rd minute, the Bison earned a corner kick. After the ball bounced around for a bit in the MSUM box, Dan Salyards tapped the ball back to defender Bob Smith. Smith launched a hard shot on the ground into the lower left corner of the net for his first goal of the season. Most of the second half was very evenly played, which is quite common when these two teams meet. NDSU made a lot of good runs and moved the ball all over the field but their first touch on the ball often left something to be desired. With just 9 minutes left in the game, MSUM hurried the ball up the field and sent a cross from the left side. Fitterer began to come off of his line, but a Dragon forward got to the ball well beforehand and headed the ball over him and into the net. The MSUM bench erupted at the 2-1 lead, but the Bison didn’t hang their heads. NDSU tried furiously to find the equalizer in the last few minutes of the game, but they just couldn’t find that final touch to get it. The loss dropped NDSU’s record to 6-7-2 (6-5-2 conference) for the season, while the Dragons improved to 9-1-3.