Oct. 26, 2008
[box score]

BEMIDJI, Minn. - Talk about an offensive explosion.

For a team that had been shut out the past three games, this was exactly what the doctor ordered.

The Bemidji State University soccer team rolled against the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets to the tune of a 7-0 triumph in which 10 different players recorded at least one point Sunday afternoon at the BSU Soccer Complex on Senior Day. This was the last home game of the season, and it turned out to be a dandy for the green and white.

This was the most goals scored in a single game since a 7-1 win over Northland College Sept. 3, 2006, and it was just the sixth time in school history that the Beavers have notched at least seven goals in a single game.

The win moves Bemidji State to 10-7-1 overall (3-7-1 NSIC), and the team has now reached the double-digit win plateau for the fourth time in school history. The win also gives BSU an undefeated 7-0 record in non-conference play for the 2008 campaign, marking the first time in school history that a team has went unscathed in non-conference action for an entire year. UWS moved to 3-15-1 this year.

Despite the multiple goals, it took Bemidji State a good portion of the first half to get on track and find offensive rhythm. The slow start was partly due to the snow storm that had rumbled through the Bemidji area prior to the game, and it could also be attributed to the fact that BSU had little time to warm up because of the Senior Day ceremonies that took place prior to gametime. Oh, and the mid-30-degree weather didn’t help either.

But once the Beavers warmed up and found the back of the net once, the goals started coming in bunches.

The first marker came in the 25th minute off the foot of Jamie Ford (Jr., Edina, Minn.) from just outside the six-yard box. The providers on the plays were Jenny Stromberg (So., Elk River, Minn.) and Lauren Olivares (Sr., El Paso, Texas). It took Bemidji State just three minutes to add some insurance when Ashlee Ellefsen (So., Hugo, Minn.) sniped a shot from 20 yards out after receiving a pass from Kelly Hyvare (Sr., Coon Rapids, Minn.).

That was the only scoring in the first half despite the Beavers attempting 30 shots, which set the school record for most shots attempted in a single half. BSU took 59 shots total in the contest with 33 being placed on net. Both marks set school records. The home squad conceded just one shot to the Yellowjackets, which tied the school record for the least amount of shots allowed in a single game. This record was set Oct. 2, 2000, against UW-Superior, and was tied Sept. 3, 2004, against Finlandia. Those are the only other times in school history that BSU has allowed just one shot to an opponent.

It didn’t take long in the second half to find some more scoring from Bemidji State.

Hyvare got things started with her first goal of the season in the 49th minute. Ellefsen passed a ball to Kara Smyth (So., Cary, Ill.) outside the penalty box, and she served a pass over the defenders’ heads to a streaking Hyvare. The senior clipped the ball over the outstretched arms of the goalkeeper, who got her hands on it and deflected it higher into the air, but the momentum of the shot carried the ball into the net.

Smyth found the net a little more than a minute later for her second goal of the season. Ford served a ball to Smyth who was about 15 yards away from the net. She let the ball bounce once before rifling it past the keeper.

Bemidji State was shut out for awhile after that, even though there were three goals waved off for offsides during this time period.

The Beavers didn’t notch another goal that counted on the scoreboard until the 71st minute, when Ellefsen scored her team-leading 11th goal of the season and her second of the game. She received an outstanding pass on the left side of the goalie box 10 yards away from the net from Analey Skog (Fr., St. Francis, Minn.), who got the ball from Hyvare. Ellefsen was trying to beat a defender to the ball and took a shot with her left foot while her and the defender were falling down. The keeper was fooled by the superb play of the Beavers, and the ball went into the right corner of the net.

Skog found the back of the net for the second time this season in the 74th minute. Stromberg sent a touch pass to Briana Scanlan (Fr., East Grand Forks, Minn.), who flicked a through-ball over the heads of the defenders to an open Skog. She took a shot with her left foot from 15 yards out on the left side and the ball sailed into the upper right corner past the diving goalkeeper.

If six wasn’t enough, BSU went ahead and added an exclamation point to the record-breaking performance thanks to a freshman.

Brianna Duff (Fr., Ramsey, Minn.) scored her first-career goal in the 76th minute. The providers on this play were Stromberg and Kim Sorteberg (Jr., Anoka, Minn.). Stromberg had a throw-in on the near-touch line 30 yards away from the box. She threw it in to Sorteberg, who sent an extremely high pass over everybody’s heads into the penalty box. The defender that was man-marking Duff lost sight of the ball in the air, leaving Duff wide open to collect the pass. She clipped the ball in the air off one hop about six yards out and it went sailing into the left corner of the net.

After the scoring was all said and done, the Beavers had added seven goals and 12 assists to the season totals. The assists tied for the second most in a single game in school history behind only the Finlandia game, which had 14 assists. Bemidji State scored five second-half goals, which was the most scored in a single half since a five-goal first-half performance Sept. 16, 2006, against Southwest Minnesota State University.

BSU has now scored 36 goals this season, which is the most of any team in the NSIC behind only Winona State University (47). The Beavers have also attempted 329 shots this season, which is the most in a single season in school history, and the 43 assists this season are second-most in a single season in school history (49 assists-2004).

Bemidji State collected its sixth shutout of the year, and moves to 3-1 on Senior Day since the 2005 season. The three seniors honored before the game were Hyvare, Olivares and Katherine Wheeler (Sr., Bemidji, Minn.).

The Beavers have completed their home portion of the 2008 season, but have some unfinished business on the road. They will travel next weekend to take on Wayne State (Neb.) College Nov. 1 and will play Augustana College Nov. 2. These important NSIC matchups will begin at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., respectively.

The following is notable player-by-player information following Sunday’s game against Wisconsin-Superior -

SENIOR KELLY HYVARE
Hyvare played in her 80th-career game, making her 73rd-career start. She recorded the fifth multi-mark game of her career, and the fourth multi-assist game of her career, tying her personal best with two in the game. She is in the top five in school history in numerous categories, including career goals (third with 23), career assists (second with 18) and career points (tied for third with 64).

SENIOR LAUREN OLIVARES
Olivares played in her 65th career game, making her 22nd career start. She recorded her ninth career assist, which ties her for ninth-most in school history. She also notched her fourth helper of the season.

SENIOR KATHERINE WHEELER
Wheeler made her first-career start, and has now played in 40 career games.

JUNIOR JAMIE FORD
Ford is second on the team this season in both goals (8) and points (21), and is tied for the team lead in assists (5). She is in the top five in several school-record categories, including career goals (tied for fifth with 18), career assists (tied for fifth with 11), and career points (fifth with 47). She also now has four career game-winning goals.

JUNIOR KIM SORTEBERG
Sorteberg notched her fourth assist of the season, and she now has 10 career points.

SOPHOMORE JENNY STROMBERG
Stromberg set the school record for assists in a single game with three Sunday. The previous record was two assists in a game, a mark that had been equaled 27 times by 16 different players. She also set a personal best for points in a game with three. She has five assists this season, which ties her for the team lead. She is now third on the team this season in points with 11.

SOPHOMORE ASHLEE ELLEFSEN
Ellefsen recorded five points in a single game for the third time in her career. She is the team leader this year in both goals (11) and points (27), and is tied for the team lead in assists (5). She is in the top 10 in BSU history in both goals (tied for fifth with 18) and points (sixth with 43). This is just the second time in school history that two players have eclipsed the 20-point plateau in a single season. Ellefsen has 27 and Ford now has 21. The only other duo in school history to record 20 points in the same season were Becky Elk (32) and Lauren Miller (22) in 1999.

SOPHOMORE KARA SMYTH
Smyth set a personal best with three points (1g-1a=3p). The goal was her second of the season, and she also notched her third helper of the season in her first start of the year. She has nine career assists, which ties her for ninth-most by a BSU player in school history.

SOPHOMORE KELSEY ROBINSON
Robinson played in her first game of the season and notched her first-career shot.

FRESHMAN BRIANNA DUFF
Duff scored her first-career goal, and became the third freshman to score a goal this year.

FRESHMAN ANALEY SKOG
Skog recorded her first-career multi-mark game with one goal and one assist. The three points was a career high. She is tied for the team lead with five assists and she scored her second-career goal.

FRESHMAN ABBY KJONAAS
Kjonaas made her second-career start in net for BSU, and recorded her first-career win and shutout, making one save.

FRESHMAN BRIANA SCANLAN
Scanlan recorded her third-career assist.

--bsu--