FARGO, N.D. – Junior Lorraine Thompson (Sioux Falls, S.D.) notched two first half goals to lead North Dakota State to a 4-1 win over the University of Mary.   The Bison improve to 3-2 and the Marauders drop to 0-5. 

Thompson got the scoring started for NDSU right away, putting the ball away after junior Laura Murphy (East Bethel, Minn.) had a shot go off the goalie's hands.  The goal was the second fastest ever scored by NDSU. 

After the early goal, play settled down a bit.  Senior Nicole Rand (Plymouth, Minn.) forced Mary goalie Brannigan Coyle to save two more shots, but the Marauders also put pressure on the NDSU defense.   Freshman goalie Kalani Bertsch (Ventura, Calif.) made a couple saves to keep Mary off the board.

In the 27^th minute, freshman Kristen Whipple (San Diego, Calif.) put a long throw in into the box and Rand was there to pick up the ball and put it in the back of the net to give the Bison a 2-0 lead.

17 seconds before halftime, the Bison put pressure on the Mary defense and Thompson was able to make a move in the box to beat the defender and slot the ball past the goalie.  Her second goal of the game put the Bison up 3-0 at halftime. 

In the second half, it was Mary putting the pressure on NDSU.  The Marauders cut the score to 3-1 in the 56^th minute after Amy Tanaka’s shot went past Bertsch’s outstretched fingers and into the lower right corner.

After several substitutions and shots by both teams, freshman Danielle Boldenow (Forest Lake, Minn.) dribbled into the Marauders box and earned a penalty kick for the Bison after being taken down.  Sophomore Abbey Stratton (Champlin, Minn.) stepped up and buried the spot kick in the left corner of the goal. 

Amy Tanaka had one more opportunity to put Mary on the board, but Bertsch denied her close-range shot. 

NOTES

-Freshman Kristen Whipple notched her first career point after assisting on Nicole Rand’s second goal.

-The four goals scored by the Bison are the most since a 4-0 win over South Carolina State in the United Soccer Conference Tournament on November 2, 2006. 

-Junior Lorraine Thompson and sophomore Abbey Stratton have now extended their consecutive games started streak to 24. 

-Tonight’s penalty kick was the second of Stratton’s career.  She has made both of her penalty kicks as a Bison. 

-Thompson leads the Bison in points with seven (three goals, one assist). 

-The Bison played their second straight game without senior midfielder Becky Iwanicki, who suffered MCL damage and will miss the remainder of the season.