NDSU Women Blank SDSU 1-0 to Secure Tournament Bye

North Dakota State women’s soccer defeated South Dakota State 1-0 on Sunday to close the regular season.

Gabrielle Garrett scored the only goal of the match in the 22nd minute. She headed the ball past SDSU goalkeeper Mallorie Benhart. The shot came off a corner kick delivered by NDSU’s Ava Stanchina.

The result improved the Bison’s overall record to 7-6-6. In Summit League play, the team stands at 5-3-2. This victory secured the top spot in Pod A and earned NDSU a bye into the Summit League tournament semifinals.

The Bison will enter the postseason as the No. 2 overall seed. The team has a week off before traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma. There, they will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between Omaha and South Dakota. The semifinal is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12.

The win in Brookings was a historic milestone for the program. It marked the first time NDSU has beaten SDSU in that location since Oct. 4, 2006. That previous encounter also ended 1-0 in favor of the Bison.

Goalkeeper Payton Mulberry recorded six saves during the match. The performance gave her 14th career clean sheet. This number moved her into sole possession of fifth place all-time in program history. It also placed her fourth in the Division I era, surpassing former keeper Monica Morgan.