BOX SCORE

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana soccer team kept its historic season going with a 3-1 win over Minnesota Duluth in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Sunday at Morstad Field. The Vikings pushed their record to 10-2 (8-1 NSIC) with the victory, while the Bulldogs fell to 5-7 (5-4 NSIC) in the loss.

For Augustana, the 10-2 start to this year is the best in team history. The win also gave the Vikings their first back-to-back seasons of at least 10 wins in program history, a true testament to the coaching job done by Brandon Barkus and his staff in recent years.

Annie Thoresen and Stephanie Stevens turned in very solid performances on the pitch for Augustana in the victory with each scoring a goal and dishing out an assist. With the assist, Thoresen upped her team-leading total to seven on the year, tying a school record shared by Kelly Dudgeon and Stephanie Goos.

Stevens broke out of a four-match scoreless streak with the three-point day on the field. The Ankeny, Iowa native now has three goals and two assists on the season.

Payton Pry continued her high-scoring ways, picking up her ninth goal of 2014 in the second half.

The Vikings got back to controlling possession in the match, something that had been an issue the previous two games, resulting in a 22-17 shot advantage over UMD for the contest.

Thoresen busted open a scoreless match in the 22nd minute of play, scoring her second goal of the year on a pass from Stevens that the senior put past Minnesota Duluth's Marissa Rosa and into the back of the net to give Augustana a 1-0 lead early.

Vikings would keep pressing their attack for the remainder of the half, but failed to convert several scoring chances generated by their aggressive style of play.

The Bulldogs refused to let this one get away and tied the match up at 1-1 at the 50:31 mark early in the second half. UMD's Maureen Stromont netted the equalizer on Hannah Keil's corner kick. Keil was credited with the assist on the goal.

Thoresen and Pry then teamed up for what would be the play of the match, a game-winning goal by Pry that was made possible by Thoresen in the 63rd minute. Pry headed in a rebound off a high shot by Thoresen that was deflected by the keeper, hit the crossbar, and then headed in the by former East High standout to put Augustana up 2-1.

Stevens put the match out of reach with just under a minute left in regulation when she scored off a Samantha Arnold pass to make it a two-goal game. The junior midfielder took the pass then dribbled through the UMD defenders and beat the keeper with a shot for the goal, giving up the Vikings the 3-1 win.

Augustana heads back on the road for two more NSIC matches this upcoming weekend. First up, a meeting with Concordia-St. Paul (4-7-1, 3-5-1 NSIC) on Oct. 18. Vikings close out the road trip with a big matchup at No. 2 Minnesota State (12-0, 9-0 NSIC) on Oct. 19 at 1 p.m.