Fall semester sports finish strong for MSU
Winter is coming, and the athletic teams for Minnesota State have stayed hot all semester
Aaron Young
Staff Writer
Winter break is upon us and finals are driving students crazy. However, this doesn’t stop the Maverick athletes from playing. That being said, it’s time to look back at what happened throughout the semester for Maverick sports. From football earning a conference championship to soccer’s playoff run, there was a lot to cheer for.
Starting in August, the women’s volleyball, soccer, and men’s football began their seasons with a victory. Even better, the volleyball and soccer had shutouts winning 4-0 and 3-0. Women’s cross country got second and third place in the Oz Memorial in September. Then came the game of the century for Maverick sports, where the football barely hung on to win 38-36 against the Augustana Vikings.
Golf swung its way back to the calendar, with the women finishing second in the Fall Classic. Women’s swimming and diving returned after winning the NSIC Championship. Women’s hockey also hit the rink looking to get better results this year around and started out with a 2-0 win.
October came and the men’s golf putted their way to a third-place finish in the Lewis Invitational. In the same month, women’s soccer destroyed only suffering one loss to Bemidji State. More on the soccer team later.
Then came the most lopsided game of the year, a 55-2 victory for the Maverick football team.
November was here before we knew it and the men’s basketball shot their way to their first victory of the year against UW-River Falls. The women’s basketball had a game where they scored 25 points in the fourth and blew out their opponent.
In the middle of November, the women’s volleyball and soccer team’s season would come to an end after their respectful tournaments. Volleyball was spiked away by Northern State 3-2 and eliminated. For the soccer team, they beat Emporia State in a 2-1 overtime thriller before losing to Central Oklahoma.
The men and women’s track team are still running around the track preparing for spring as they compete at Invitationals. The wrestling team started the year out with four opens and have the Desert Duals in Vegas on Dec. 17.
Then there was the curious case of the women’s tennis team. They lost to Wartburg College 8-1 and had a matchup with St. Olaf canceled. Meaning they only had one game this fall and will continue in the spring.
Can’t forget about the men’s hockey team. They stand at 12-2. Jared Spooner and co. have been outstanding this year in DI. Undefeated at home the boys are hoping to make it farther than last year, as they lost in a heart-wrenching 3-2 overtime loss to the eventual NCAA men’s hockey champions, the UMD Bulldogs.
Last but certainly not least, the men’s football team. Undefeated and after a comeback against Tarleton State, find themselves two games away from being NCAA Division II Champions.
It’s been a roller coaster of a semester for Maverick sports, and students and faculty alike will continue to cheer especially for the men’s football team. Who knows what next semester has in store, so keep your energy up Mavericks. 2019 is upon us and it’s a year full of possibilities and a chance for our sports to show the rest of the world what we are made of.
Here is to a winter break and a wind down from all the finals, as well as hoping the football team can win it all.
Feature photo by Mansoor Ahmad | MSU Reporter.