NORTHERN CONFERENCE WEEKEND RECAP

Written By:  Andrew Conniff
             Central Region Contributor

Five teams from the Northern Conference opened their 2022 campaigns over Memorial Day Weekend with hopes of starting on a positive note.

MANKATO UNITED vs. JOY AC

Joy AC had already played a match this season, but Friday’s meeting would be Mankato’s 2022 opener.

Joy AC opened the scoring in the 22’ minute, as Ana Recarte-Pacheco nodded in a corner for the club’s first-ever WPSL goal. Just seven minutes later Joy AC again shocked the hosts as it scored a second goal making it 2-0.

Just before halftime, Mankato’s Jenny Vetter pulled one back as she converted on a penalty in the 41’ minute, giving her team some confidence heading into the break. Mankato scored twice more in the 65’ and 83’ minutes from Vetter and Allie Williams to get the winning result, making the final score 3-2 – Mankato.

A brace from Vetter, a Mankato local who also plays for MSU-Mankato, pushed her team to victory to kick off the new season but she is no stranger to scoring.  Vetter has twice been voted as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Offensive Player of the Year and this past season was also selected to the D2CCA All-American Second Team and the United Soccer Coaches All-American Third Team.
 

SALVO SC vs. MANITOU F.C.

Salvo SC’s new addition Molly Fiedler scored the lone goal of the first match of a Saturday Northern Conference doubleheader in the 14’ minute to defeat WPSL newcomer Manitou F.C. 1-0.
 

“We had some good combination play out wide…there was a good ball into the box and Lexi [Huber] dummied it for me and I was able to put it away,” said Fiedler.

The goal was something special: a six-pass move starting near midfield ended with a backheel and a powerful finish to the far corner. There was a buzz about the quality of Salvo SC leading into this match and it backed it up. Although it did not have the finishing touch throughout the match, it was a confident performance from a talented group.

ROCHESTER UNITED FC vs. MAPLEBROOK FURY

In the second match of the Northern Conference doubleheader, Maplebrook Fury came out with the win in what was the highest-scoring match thus far in the conference this season.

Paige Goaley scored two of Maplebrook’s four goals with two more goals from Paige Johnson of Fort Hayes State University and Maria Sennes of Florida Atlantic University as it defeated Rochester United 4-2.

Both Rochester United and Maplebrook Fury will play their next matches against the two teams that have yet to open their 2022 WPSL season – Minnesota Thunder and Dakota Fusion FC.

Rochester United is back out on Thursday, June 2 to play against Minnesota Thunder, the reigning conference champs.

Maplebrook Fury will play at home for the first time this season on Friday, June 3 against Dakota Fusion FC.