NDSU vs.
Energy lingered in
the air Saturday night as a large group of rowdy fans piled into the bleachers
for the NDSU vs. SDSU rivalry match. As two of the top teams in their
conference, the Bison and Jackrabbits both displayed confident possession and
thoughtful movement. NDSU got the first scoreboard tally when Josh VandenBos
put in a loose ball that had dropped in front of the SDSU goal. The half would
end with NDSU up one goal.
SDSU tied the game
up in the second half, when a lofty free kick cross was sent toward the far
post from the left to right. The ball curved and sailed, flying over the heads
of everyone, including the Bison goalie. The ball appeared to be going over and
wide when it dipped and popped solidly off the post and into the net.
However, the Bison,
backed by their strong home crowd, would have none of that nonsense. Midway
through the half, Will Schoen crossed a ball to forward Brian Chapman. Chapman
leaped in to the air to meet the ball with his head and buried it into the net,
giving NDSU the lead once again. Soon NDSU’s Trent Thompson would put the game
out of reach, putting a world class volley past the Jackrabbit goalkeeper. The
game ended with 3 goals for the Bison, one for SDSU. The win upped NDSU’s
record to 4-1-0.