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D1 Minnesotans 2024 Wrap Up: Gagne, Dahlien and Harper sign NWSL deals, UNC duo wins it all, Gophers make a long awaited tourney run, Izzy Engle and Kaitlyn MacBean earn All American honors, and we feature shows and stat leaders from this fall!

1/17/2025

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Mark Privratsky
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It feels like it's as good a time as any to be a MN womens soccer fan right now. We've got a thriving youth and semi pro culture, more and more Minnesotans going pro, and generally just so many storylines to follow. The stepping stone for taking our players from their potential and promise at the youth level to bigger and better things in the pros has historically been the college game, and this year showed that in spades. As a result of both individual player improvement, and the improvement of the programs we see Minnesotans contributing to, we saw more Minnesotans making a difference in the NCAA Tournament than at any time in recent memory. Clare Gagne and Maddie Dahlien played big parts in UNC winning another NCAA Title and quickly earned NWSL contracts with the KC Current and Seattle Reign. Khyah Harper paced a Gopher attack that ran all the way to the Sweet 16, and she too earned an NWSL deal with Gotham as result. Meanwhile Izzy Engle scored 19 goals as a Freshman to be named 2nd Team All American along with another goal scorer Kaitlyn MacBean, who earned 4th team honors after continuing her meteoric production at Penn State. We'll dig into some of the 2024 stat leaders from our year long player tracking, some of the other award winners from this past year and some of the shows that highlighted the standout Minnesotans this past year. 

Clare Gagne, Maddie Dahlien, Kyhah Harper all sign with NWSL teams

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It was a pleasant surprise to Equal Time followers all around last week when we saw 3 Minnesotans sign guaranteed deals in the NWSL following the 2024 college season. Minnesota is not short on pros in the women's game overall but this was something special. While we regularly check in with pros from abroad, and we've been following the recent USL Super League signings like Jenny Vetter and Katie Duong, the NWSL has been an elusive level for MN players to land.

This winter, after a hugely exciting NCAA Tournament, it was clear that our local players did not go unnoticed. Clare Gagne transferred to the historic UNC program as a grad player from Brown, where she has stood out as the top class keeper in the Ivy. She took her one year chance at UNC and turned it into a Defensive Player of the Year award, and a contract with KC Current to play the worlds first womens soccer purpose built stadium. Her teammate Maddie Dahlien had to miss chunks of the season to play for the US U-20 World Cup squad, and no matter where she played she efficiently created goals. Obviously the Seattle Reign took note and gave her an offer she could not refuse. Khyah Harper of Minnesota was scoring goals like crazy all year, and the Gophers clicked into place around her, allowing her to scoring 17 goals and earn some All American honors along the way to signing with Gotham FC off a serendipitous senior year. And a shout out to the do-it-all Gopher midfielder Sophia Boman who has a camp invite to KC with a chance to expand the Minnesotan NWSL presence, as well. 

Interview with Clare Gagne of Brown, UNC, and now KC Current


Gophers make the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2010

When we saw Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament this fall, it had been years in the making for Gopher fans, players and coaches (& "journalists"). The Gophs had big wins over ranked squads Ohio State and Iowa, they played their core group of 90/min'ers more than anyone in the country, and they blended a lot of experience with a few hugely impressive younger players like Ashley Thurk and Sarah Martin. Once in the Tourney, the Gophers took out SDSU, beat a ranked South Carolina team, and lost to eventual National Champion UNC in the Sweet 16. Coach Erin Chastain should feel proud to see a run like this after the years building the program. The success of the team propelled Khyah Harper to an NWSL deal with Gotham, as well as the preseason camp invite for Captain Sophia Boman to KC Current. We'll have a deeper Gopher year end piece from Matt to full encapsulate the 2024 season later this month. 
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Interview with Khyah Harper of the Gophers and now Gotham FC


All America and Conference Award Winners

Izzy Engle - Notre Dame, All American 2nd Team, ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC 1st Team

Megan Plaschko - TCU, Big 12 2nd Team

Khyah Harper - Minnesota, All American 2nd Team, BIG Fwd of the Year, BIG First Team
Sophia Boman - Minnesota, BIG 1st Team
Paige Kalal - Minnesota, BIG 2nd Team
Ashley Thurk - Minnesota, BIG Freshman Team
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Kaitlyn MacBean - Penn State, All American 4th Team, BIG First Team

​Bayliss Flynn - Montana, Big Sky 1st Team, Big Sky Keeper of the Year
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​Lauren Heinsch - UNI, Missouri Valley 1st Team
Olivia Knoepfle - UNI, Missouri Valley 2nd Team
Olivia Bohl - UNI, Missouri Valley 2nd Team

​Angela Gutierez - Drake, Missouri Valley 3rd Team

Katelyn Beulke - SDSU, Summit 2nd Team
Lauren Eckerle - SDSU, Summit Honorable Mention
Avery Murdzek - SDSU, Summit Honorable Mention

Olivia Watson - NDSU, Summit 2nd Team
Lexi Huber​ - St Thomas, Summit Honorable Mention

Interview with 2024 National Save Percentage Leader
​Bayliss Flynn of Montana and MN Aurora


Player Stat Leaders 2024

Thanks to your help, we have tracked 124 Minnesota players in D1 this year, with all of our data being public! Feel free to dig in to the Full 2024 D1 MN Player Tracker to find hidden performers of your own, or to spot a gap in our coverage. If you have suggestions for ways to improve the tracker next year, we are all ears! We've highlighted some of the core category leaders here, but theres plenty more to see in the full google sheet!
MINUTES PER GAME
Bayliss Flynn - Montana - 91.43
Grace Pohlidal - Army - 90.63
Sophia Boman - Minnesota - 90
Sarah Martin - Minnesota - 90
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GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE (above 500 minutes)
Bayliss Flynn - Montana - .35 (.925 SV%)
Emma Knack - SDSU - .74 (.791 SV%)
Clare Gagne - UNC - .83 (.771 SV%)
Megan Plashcko - TCU - .86 (.759 SV%)

G+A PER 90 (above 500 minutes)
Izzy Engle - Notre Dame - 1.247 (19g, 1a)
Khyah Harper - Minnesota - 1.129 (16g, 6a)
Paige Peltier - Boston College - 1.040 (6g, 4a)
Kaitlyn MacBean - Penn State - .985 (16g, 2a)
Berit Parten - Iowa - .832 (7g, 3a)
Katelyn Beulke - SDSU - .817 (9g, 3a)
Olivia Knoepfle - UNI - .799 (6g, 4a)
Paige Kalal - Minnesota - .608 (2g, 9a)
Maya Hansen - Iowa - .606 (5g, 1a)

Interview with Izzy Engle of Notre Dame and USYNT


Thank you for your support!

As we wrap a busy 2024 D1 college season and take a bit of a slow down into winter, we'd like to thank all of you who donate to our coverage. Thank you to all of the players and coaches who help us tell stories around the game that we all love. We could not do this without you! Whether it's sharing our videos, subscribing to YouTube and following us on Insta, all of your support helps us grow the game together. 

If you appreciate our work, share it on social media, subscribe to us on YouTube, or become a supporter on Patreon for as little as $2/month! Thank you so much for your support!
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D1 Minnesotans in the NCAA Tournament: 36 players from 12 programs are in the big dance! Minnesota hosts Summit Champs South Dakota State this Friday in St Paul, while we follow MNs on Penn State, TCU, Notre Dame, UNC, Iowa, Wake, Wisconsin and others

11/14/2024

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Author: Mark Privratsky
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Gopher Soccer Photo: Brad Rempel
The 64 team field is set for the 2024 D1 Womens Soccer Tournament, and we've got as many good Minnesota angles as ever, with 36 players across 12 different teams. For starters, the Gophers are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in years, and even tough they dropped a tough 1-0 loss to Penn State in the opener of the Big Ten Tourney, they are set to host a game vs local Summit League power South Dakota State, who have a handful of impactful Minnesotans, per usual. We've got nation leading goal scorers like Khyah Harper (Minnesota), Izzy Engle (Notre Dame), and Kaitlyn MacBean (Penn State), along with other scary forwards like Perit Parten and Maya Hansen at Iowa. Local duo Maddie Dahlien and Clare Gagne are playing super sub and reliable keeper for the contending Tarheels, Megan Plaschko is taking one last ride with an impressive TCU squad, and the Westund sisters are coming off a run with Cal Baptist to take the WAC tournament automatic bid. We also have the tournament tested Wisconsin squad featuring Maddie Ishaug, Dara Andringa, Maddie Poor, Kenzie Jacobson and Kiya Gilliand, along with players across another handful of teams. As the Tournament kicks off Friday, November 15, we are here to provide your watch schedule and local players to track for all of the early matchups. If you want to look back on this years player performance,  dig into our FULL PLAYER TRACKER to catch up on all your MN D1 player stats up until this point. 

Gophers host South Dakota State in NCAA opener

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Summit League Champions SDSU
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits watched as their rivals NDSU springboarded them to the regular season Summit League title this year. No worries, this team has seen postseason pressure before, and this year was no easier. After needing OT to beat South Dakota 2-1 in the Summit opening round, they dispatched yet another rival in Denver, before locking up another NCAA trip with a 3-1 win over Oral Roberts in the final. Their reward? A matchup with local big dogs Minnesota who happen to be having one of their best seasons in nearly a decade. You know what? SDSU probably wouldn't have it any other way. The Gophers will look to hold off the upset minded Jackrabbits as they host an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2016. You can watch this highly anticipated game on ESPN+, Friday, Nov 15 at 6pm. Equal Time Founder Matt Privratsky will be calling the game as he has all year. Get to Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium early, it is sure to sell out!

Full MNs in the NCAA Tournament Schedule

The opening weekend will feature 36 Minnesotans on 12 teams over two days, but at least they are all streamed at the same place, ESPN+. We will list the players on each team who come from Minnesota, to see all of their detailed stats, check out our full player stat tracker below. The teams that advance out of their first round matchups will play next weekend on Friday, November 22. 
Friday, Nov 15, ESPN+
#2 North Carolina vs South Carolina Upstate
Kickoff: 5pm
MN Players (UNC): Clare Gagne, Maddie Dahlien


Friday, Nov 15, ESPN+
#2 Wake Forest vs Morehead State
Kickoff: 5pm
MN Players: Payton Cahill (Wake Forest)

Friday, Nov 15, ESPN+
#6 Minnesota vs South Dakota State
Kickoff: 5pm
MN Players (Gophers): Sophia Boman, Jelena Zbilic, Alma Beaton, Taylor Heimerl, Avery Petty, Ashley Thurk, Sarah Martin, Khyah Harper, Paige Kalal, Kendall Stradden, Davy Mokelke, Grace Estby, Grace Fogarty,Madeline Raymond

MN Players (SDSU): Lauren Eckerle, Katharine Jones, Emma Knack, Katelyn Beulke, Ava Grate

​Friday, Nov 15, ESPN+
#5 Kentucky vs West Virgina
Kickoff: 6pm
MN Players: Avery Lampe (Kentucky)
Friday, Nov 15, ESPN+
#4 Notre Dame vs Milwaukee
Kickoff: 6pm
MN Players: Izzy Engle (Notre Dame), Ashlyn Derosier (Milwaukee)


Friday, Nov 15, ESPN+
#5 Wisconsin vs Maine
Kickoff: 7pm
MN Players (Wisconsin): Maddie Ishaug, Dara Andringa, Maddie Poor, Kenzie Jacobson, Kiya Gilliand)

Friday, Nov 15, ESPN+
#5 TCU vs Stephen F Austin
Kickoff: 7pm
MN Players (TCU): Megan Plaschko 


​Friday, Nov 15, ESPN+
#2 UCLA vs Cal Baptist
​Kickoff: 8pm
MN Players (Cal Baptist): Ava Westlund, Anya Westlund


Friday, Nov 15, ESPN+
​#3 Iowa vs Missouri St.
Kickoff: 6pm
MN Players (Iowa): Maya Hansen, Berit Parten

Saturday, Nov 16, ESPN+
#4 Penn State vs Stony Brook
Kickoff: 5pm
MN Players (Penn State): Kaitlyn MacBean
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WAC Champions Cal Baptist

MN D1 Player Tracker

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While we've got an amazing 35 players in the NCAA Tournament from Minnesota, theres over 120 that have played this year, and plenty of good players who didn't make the big dance. Check out our UPDATED PLAYER TRACKER, and stay tuned for some stat based recognition once postseason play is done. 
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Big 12 Regular Season Champs TCU featuring Megan Plaschko


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Northern Sun Conference: Playoffs are taking shape! MN State Mankato and St Cloud State projected to the NCAAs, Augustana, CSP and Minot State on the cusp of at large chances, Wayne and Northern look to hold on to NSIC spots, and Winona could play spoile

10/30/2024

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Author: Mark Privratsky
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NSIC Standings as of 10-30-24
There are just a few games left for the Northern Sun soccer squads, and we are seeing their playoff futures  defined quickly. As the postseason draws near, we are here to breakdown where teams stand in terms of both making the NSIC playoffs, as well as NCAA chances. For MN State Mankato and St Cloud State, it's about maintaining their position and holding onto at large hopes. For Augustana, Concordia St Paul, Minot State, Bemidji State, and U Mary, they can still envision NCAA chances through a run for at large position if things go their way. Another rung of squads (Northern State, Wayne State & spoiler Winona State) is fighting to simply ensure an NSIC Tournament seed (top 8) so they can keep their dreams alive. Dig into the playoff possibilities for Northern Sun teams, find the games to watch in the last few rounds, and check out the most recent NCAA projections from Inkblot Sports in this edition of the NSIC on Equal Time!

MN State Mankato and St Cloud State projected to NCAAs, tops in NSIC

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Cady Compton (Center), Darby Allen (Left), Izzy Halunen (Right) Photo: SCSU
You wouldn't expect a team who wins 9-0 (MSU Moorhead) and 4-0 (Sioux Falls) over two weekends to feel vulnerable, but MN State Mankato showed again that any game in the NSIC can be a tough one. Two days after putting up 9 on the dragons, Mankato had to settle for a 0-0 draw to Northern State at home to theoretically keep the regular season NSIC race in the air. Regardless, MN State Mankato is still undefeated in conference play, and holds a 5 point lead over St Cloud State. Consider the Mavericks a lock for the NCAAs even if they still want to win some NSIC silverware along the way. They'll play at Bemidji State this Friday at 5pm before playing in Crookston on Sunday at 1pm. St Cloud State meanwhile has taken advantage of their softer schedule in the 2nd half. After drawing Mary and Minot, they've beaten Moorhead, Northern, SW MN State, and Sioux Falls to also sit in at at large position for the NCAAs. In order to stay there they'll need to win the games you'd predict them to, versus Winona and Crookston the next two weeks, but obviously the Huskies want the playoff NSIC hardware to match last year's regular season trophy as well. 
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Projected D2 NCAA Bracket from Inkblot Sports (@inkblotsports on twitter)

Playing for their NCAA fate:
​Augustana, Concordia St Paul, Minot State, U Mary and Bemidji State

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Augustana Seniors (Photo: Auggie Athletics)
As one of the best D2 conferences in the country, we've become accustomed to seeing 2 or 3 NSIC teams in the tourney the last few years. While MN State Mankato and St Cloud can feel a bit more safe in their at large chances (though they may not admit it), we've got a big cluster of teams who could play their way to the big dance even without winning the Northern Sun. According to our friends at Inkblot Sports, who we sourced the predicted D2 bracket from, the next 3 in the Tourney from the Central Region would be Augustana, CSP and Minot State. If they win the last few regular season games and take a couple in the NSIC tourney, they can hold real hope for an at large bid. If Bemidji State and U Mary go on their own similar runs, you could see them in the conversation for an at large bid as well. In other words, the race for the big postseason is still wide open for a ton of NSIC squads, but they need to find their rhythm fast. 

Fighting for NSIC playoff spots:
​Northern State, Wayne State fight for last spots, Winona can play spoiler

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As it stands, the top 6 seeds are looking safe in their NSIC playoff chances (although Bemidji State almost drew their way into danger), but then it gets dicey. Even though Minot State is projected as an almost NCAA tourney team, they still aren't guaranteed a Northern Sun bid yet. With Minot State (7th, 18pts) and Northern State (8th, 18pts) holding the last spots with just a 2 point lead over Wayne State, your bet is as good as ours as to who will make the final 8. Wayne will have to get out of a Dakota twofer of Mary and Minot with some points, and hope Winona doesn't spoil their hopes on the last day (Nov 7). Minot faces Sioux Falls, Wayne and Moorhead, while Northern faces Auggie, SW MN State, and U Mary. 
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Anna Miotto (Photo: Minot State)

Games to Watch

Friday, November 1
U Mary vs Wayne State, 1pm
Bemidji State vs MN State Mankato, 5pm
Northern State vs Augustana, 5:30pm
St Cloud State vs Winona State, 6pm
Sunday, November 3
Minot State vs Wayne State, 1pm
Bemidji State vs Concordia-St Paul, 1pm

Thursday, November 7
Wayne State vs Winona State, 3pm
U Mary vs Northern State, 5pm

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