The Gophers are off to their best start to a season since 2013
The Minnesota Golden Gophers soccer team has leapt out to their best start to a season since the 2013 campaign going 5-0-1 to start the season. Their first blemish came in a 1-1- draw with Brown on Sunday. The Gophers will open Big Ten play Thursday night when they head to Champaign to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
The Gophers opened the season with a 2-1 win over Creighton before defeating St. Thomas in St. Paul A trip the following weekend saw the Gophers knock off UW-Milwaukee 3-2 before defeating Marquette 2-1. This past weekend the Gophers hosted a pair of eastern teams shutting out Army 3-0 before Sundays 1-1 tie with Brown.
The Gophers have been led this season by senior forward Khyah Harper. The Lino Lakes, MN native has 8 goals on the season in her first six games coming in bunches. She has a pair of hat tricks against St. Thomas and Milwaukee and added a brace (2 goals) in the win over Army last Thursday. She was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week and was Co-Offensive Player of the Week in the Big Ten after her back to back hat tricks against St. Thomas and Milwaukee. Midfielder Sophia Romine has three goals on the season to go along with an assist to rank second on the team in points. The Gophers also took home an award in week one as redshirt freshman Caroline Birdell was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after scoring both goals in Minnesota’s season opener against Creighton.
In goal it has been another young player in sophomore Sarah Martin who is so far undefeated on the year. The Champlin, Minnesota native recorded her first career clean sheet in the win over Army and has made 14 saves and allowed just six goals in her first six games in the net.
Minnesota now sets its sights on Big Ten play where expectations were low. Minnesota was predicted to finish in 14th place out of the now 18 team Big Ten by the conference coaches. The early portion of the Gophers Big Ten schedule is manageable with middle of the pack teams Illinois and Michigan to start before the Gophers head to Wisconsin, and then a trip to California to take on USC, and predicted Big Ten Champion and NCAA powerhouse UCLA. Minnesota will alternate middle of the pack teams and top national teams down the stretch as Minnesota takes road trips to Top 20 ranked Ohio State and Penn State, and will close out the season on October 27th against rival Iowa at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
Good luck to the Gophers as they begin conference play this week.