The Mavericks finished their non-conference bid in a strong way with a home victory over a big-name power 5 opponent in the Oklahoma Sooners. This win moves the Mavericks to 3-3-2 before they travel to Grand Forks to take on the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota.
A goal by Summit League goal leader Sophia Green in the 11th minute got the Mavs started on a dominant first half. Another goal from Maggie Gunderson shortly thereafter made the rest of the game an uphill battle for the Sooners. Frustrations started to boil over for the Sooners resulting in two yellow cards in the second half.
Sophomore goalkeeper Emma Konsmo was unable to hang on to her fourth shutout of the season as Esalanna Galekhutle gave the Sooners some life with a goal midway through the second half. Konsmo has three shutouts in her seven starts this season, good enough for the second best shutout rate in the Summit League. While she was unable to boost her average shutouts per game to .500, her seven saves were enough to get the job done against the Sooners.
After a loss to the Drake Bulldogs in Des Moines Sunday, the Mavericks needed a win to gain some momentum before going into conference play. The Mavericks were third in the preseason conference poll, the same spot they finished in last year’s regular season. As the Mavericks make their way into conference play, head Coach Tim Walters is searching for his second Summit League championship in seven years. Despite their 3-3-2 record, Walters has the Mavericks outscoring their opponents 13-9, a trend they hope to continue in Grand Forks on Thursday.
