If you are a fan of the drama that lower league soccer creates, there may be no better conference for you than the NPSL’s North. A surprise game cancellation seemed to galvanize Minneapolis City who thrashed Dakota Fusion at home, VSLT shot up the standings with two wins in a week, and the La Crosse Aris continued to provide goal differential for the rest of the teams trying to stake out an early place in the playoff race.

Minneapolis City SC at Minnesota TwinStars
May 16, 2018
Prairie Seeds Academy (Brooklyn Park, Minn.)

The game was canceled unexpectedly by Minnesota TwinStars. The league has mandated a rescheduled game occur on June 14th. You can read Minneapolis City’s statement on the matter in this Twitter thread.

La Crosse Aris 1, Med City FC 5
May 16, 2018
Rochester Regional Stadium (Rochester, Minn.)

Med City notched their first win of the year against La Crosse Aris, in what was one of the Wisconsin team’s best performances in years. Aris held Med City off the scoresheet for 35 minutes before Nicholas Itopoulos’ opening strike. The visitors also held on for the opening 20 minutes of the second half before the floodgates opened and led to another lopsided final score. Claudio Repetto put the Mayhem up by two in the 60th minute and Francisco Neto netted his own just four minutes later. Niklas Roessler added a goal in the 87th minute and Repetto secured his brace in the 89th. Max Kundert converted a last minute penalty to get Aris on the board, allowing the team to say it still has not been shut out this year.

Sioux Falls Thunder 0, VSLT FC 1
May 16, 2018
James Griffin Stadium (St. Paul, Minn.)

VSLT secured the first of two wins this week in a tight and chippy game against the visiting Sioux Falls Thunder. The meeting saw five yellow cards issued in addition to the lone goal scored by VSLT’s Boris Zaraguro in the 61st minute. The loss was the first of the season for Sioux Falls after a strong start.

Duluth FC 7, La Crosse Aris 1
May 19, 2018
Viterbo Sports Complex (La Crosse, Wis.)

La Crosse continued to show signs of improvement, holding the defending conference champions to just two first half goals before collapsing in the second half of the game. Duluth’s Ryan Tyrer opened the scoring in the 8th minute and Dana Kowachek added a second in the 27th. Aris held its own for the remainder of the half before Kowachek made it a brace just after the game recommenced. The hosts managed to cut into the Bluegreens’ lead courtesy of Adhemar Lino Cortez’s 53rd minute goal. Duluth flipped a switch and poured on four-unanswered goals, including 57th and 58th minute hits from Joe Watt and Tyrer respectively. Cordel Hill found the back of the net in the 66th minute and Mally Lumsden added the final tally in the 78th.

Up next:
Duluth FC at Med City FC, May 23
La Crosse Aris vs. Dakota Fusion, May 23

Dakota Fusion 0, Minneapolis City SC 5
May 19, 2018
Osseo High School (Osseo, Minn.)

Minneapolis City made a statement with battering of last season’s second-place finishers thanks to a combined four goals from the Browne brothers. Max Stiegwardt chipped the Dakota keeper from 20 yards out to open the scoring in the 7th minute. Dakota answered with good pressure on the City net, but could not find a way past goalkeeper James Neher. The Crows kept looking for goals and found them at the feet of Whitney Browne. His first came in the 29th minute with another less than ten minutes later, giving the hosts a 3-0 lead going into the locker room. Fifteen minutes into the second half, Browne made it a hat trick; the club’s first ever not scored against La Crosse Aris. Not to be outdone, Whitney’s brother Martin sent a screamer into the top corner to finish off the City scoring. Dakota came close to getting one back, but the shot bounced off the underside of the crossbar and was ruled no good.

Up next:
Minneapolis City SC at Duluth FC, May 26
Dakota Fusion at La Crosse Aris, May 23

Minnesota TwinStars 3, Sioux Falls Thunder 2
May 19, 2018
USF Sports Complex (Sioux Falls, S.D.)

The TwinStars took the field and notched their first win of the season. Sioux Falls got out to an early 2-0 lead with goals from Nigel Nielsen in the 26th minute and Amadu Meyers ten minutes later. A disastrous three minute span just after the second half began doomed the hosts to their first loss of the season. Chase Deaconson scored the first in the 48th minute, Taiki Kinugawa followed that two minutes later, and the third was added a minute after that by Chase Wright.

Up next:
Minnesota TwinStars vs. VSLT FC, May 23
Sioux Falls Thunder vs. Med City FC, May 30

Med City FC 0, VSLT FC 1
May 19, 2018
James Griffin Stadium (St. Paul, Minn.)

The second of VSLT’s two home games this week ended with an identical score to the first. Andrew Jenkins put the hosts up in the 17th minute and the rest was up to the defense. Med City tried to find an equalizer but came up just short. Six points in a week vaults VSLT into second place in the conference.

Up next:
Med City FC vs. Duluth FC, May 23
VSLT FC at Minnesota TwinStars, May 23

NPSL North Standings

Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	GD	Points	Possible
Minneapolis City	3	2	1	0	6	7	40
VSLT	3	2	1	0	2	7	40
Duluth	2	1	1	0	6	4	40
Sioux Falls	4	1	1	2	3	4	34
TwinStars	2	1	1	0	1	4	40
Med City	3	1	0	2	2	3	36
Dakota Fusion	2	0	1	1	-5	1	37
La Crosse Aris	3	0	0	3	-15	0	33

 

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