| Match 22: South Dakota State (15-4-2) vs. No. 6 Minnesota (12-4-3) | |
| Date & Location | Friday, Nov. 15, 6 PM CT – St. Paul, Minn. (Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium) |
| Stream | ESPN+ |
| Live Stats | NCAA.com |
| South Dakota State | Home Page | Game Notes |
| Minnesota | Home Page |
South Dakota State makes its eighth appearance in the 43rd edition of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship at 6 p.m. on Friday when the Jackrabbits take on Minnesota at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in St. Paul. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
The Jackrabbits earned their spot to the national tournament by winning The Summit League Tournament championship this past Sunday over Oral Roberts, 3-1, at North Dakota State’s Dacotah Field. Freshman Hailee Christensen scored in the 14th minute, then sophomore Katelyn Beulke recorded the first of her two goals in the meeting a minute later as the Jacks raced out to a three-goal advantage 48 minutes into the match. SDSU was honored with All-Tournament Team selections in Christensen, Katherine Jones and Hayley Lindaman, while Kaycee Manding was chosen as the Tournament MVP.
SDSU’s road to the NCAA Tournament faced adversity. Playing a home match as the three-seed against sixth seeded South Dakota in the league quarterfinals on Nov. 1, the Jackrabbits trailed 1-0 after an early second-half goal by the Coyotes. SDSU chased an equalizer for 32 minutes when Jones struck a shot into the net to tie the score in the 86th minute. The two sides played to a second overtime where a Manding free kick from nearly 50 yards out went into the net to give SDSU a golden goal in the 101st minute. SDSU then upset Denver by a 2-1 score in the semifinals to set up their eventual title-clinching game versus ORU.
South Dakota State is 1-6-1 all-time in seven previous NCAA Tournament appearances. The Jacks won their first ever national tournament showing against Colorado, 1-0, in St. Paul in 2008. SDSU’s Second Round game at that tournament saw SDSU fall to the Gophers, 2-0. The Jacks faced Minnesota in the 2015 tournament and lost in that meeting, 5-0.
The Jacks and Gophers haven’t squared off in over five years. Minnesota holds an 8-1-1 record all-time against SDSU. The Jacks defeated the Gophers, 1-0, in St. Paul the last time the two sides met in September of 2019.
SDSU is now 14-6-6 all-time in The Summit League Tournament after its victory over Oral Roberts. The Jackrabbits are also 5-1-3 in the championship game which includes earning the title via penalty kick three times. SDSU owns Summit League Tournament titles, which led to NCAA Tournaments, previously in 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2023.
The Jackrabbits have had a few key factors when it comes to success this season. SDSU is 12-0 when leading at the half. The Jacks are 11-0 when scoring two-plus goals, while they are 1-2 when an opponent scores two or more goals. SDSU is 7-4 in one-goal games.
SDSU has won at least 12 matches in each of the last seven campaigns, while the year prior the program won 11 in Brock Thompson‘s first season as head coach. The Jacks’ 15
victories are tied for their second most ever.
COVERAGE INFORMATION
The match between the Jackrabbits and Golden Gophers streams on ESPN+. Tickets are available prior to arrival online on the Minnesota ticket webpage. Links to all game information is available on the South Dakota State soccer schedule page at GoJacks.com.