The Des Moines Menace Premier Development League and Women’s Premier Soccer League are coming home with wins in their back pocket.

Both teams are still undefeated after taking wins up north. The PDL completed the road sweep of arch-rival Thunder Bay 2-0 Friday and 2-1 Saturday. The WPSL notched another 4-0 win to open the season, this time against Minnesota TwinStars.

Menace takes rare road sweep of Chill

It’s been more than seven years since the team won two in Thunder Bay, but the Des Moines Menace (4-0-1) pulled out victories over its arch-rival.

It’s been more than seven years since the Menace won two in Thunder Bay, but the Des Moines Menace (4-0-1) pulled out victories over its arch-rival.

Friday night, tempers flared from the hosts. Thunder Bay was reduced to nine men after the first 11 minutes, seeing straight red for Anthony Putrus on an aerial challenge three minutes in and a pair of bookings for Pedro Adan in the 11th.

The Menace, up two players, were left chasing the game before the halftime break but found the net on a penalty in first-half stoppage time. Leigh Veidman notched his second goal of the season with the spot kick.

As teams entered the field for the start of the second half, a small contingent of Thunder Bays fans surrounded the officiating crew. One fan reportedly took a swing at head official Kevin Read before the officials were escorted back to the locker room.

Des Moines went on to add an insurance goal in the 66th minute through Tommy Barlow’s first goal of the season.

Thunder Bay, after the game, took to twitter to voice its frustrations with the officiating.

The league must have said something back to the team about the tweet because Thunder Bay followed up with this gem:

Tweets are exactly one hour after each other.

Saturday, Thunder Bay had its chance at revenge, but could not secure a point or three.

The Menace opened with a goal in the first half, and after conceding before the halftime break, knocked home the game winner in the 76th minute.

Veidman scored the final goal for the Menace — his second in as many games. Taking a cross from Devyn Jambga, Veidman got a touch to redirect the ball to the far post and in for the lone goal of the second half.

With this pair of wins, the Menace take more than four points in Thunder Bay since 2009. Before this past weekend, the Chill compiled an 8-1-1 record against Des Moines at home. The last win in Thunder Bay for the Menace came in 2014 on the second day of a weekend doubleheader.

Des Moines will have one more match in Canada before returning home for a three-game homestand. The Menace will travel across the Ontario/Manitoba board and head to Winnipeg for a Tuesday night match against WSA Winnipeg. The Wolfpack is on a 32-match winless streak, dating back to 2014 (0-29-3).

The Menace hosts WSA in two weeks for a weekend doubleheader. This comes after St. Louis comes to Des Moines next weekend for another rivalry match next Saturday.

Menace WPSL breaks out another 4-0 win

Danielle Puddlefoot and Camila Parra put together braces for the Menace, and Des Moines (3-0-0) is off to its best start since the 2012 season.

It’s the third straight 4-0 win for the Des Moines Menace WPSL.

Danielle Puddlefoot and Camila Parra each grabbed a brace for the Menace, and Des Moines (3-0-0) is off to its best start since the 2012 season.

Parra got things rolling early, notching her second and third goals of the season. Taking a through ball from Nicole Pearson in the first minute, Parra finished her breakaway with a shot to the upper left-hand corner of the goal.

Last season’s leading goalscorer, Puddlefoot added her second and third goals of the year with two goals in the first eight minutes of the second half.

Parra added the final goal in the 75th minute.

Des Moines is off to a hot start, stringing together 12 goals in the first three matches. A 4-0 win on the road in the Quad Cities and another 4-0 win at home to the Kansas City Courage has the Menace off to its best start since the 2012 season, when Des Moines won the WLS with a 7-1-0 record and outscored opponents 41-5.

The Menace WPSL will have some lull time before its next competitive match. Des Moines will host WSA Winnipeg in an exhibition doubleheader June 24 and 25. On the road, the Menace will make its only appearance in Chicago this season with a regular-season match against the Chicago Red Stars Reserves on July 2.