With a busy week ahead, the NPSL North’s weekend was full of action that had the potential for season-changing consequences. Minneapolis City and Duluth FC each completed doubles over Med City and Dakota Fusion respectively, VSLT pulled off another 1-0 win to continue holding a playoff spot, and the bottom two teams have nearly been eliminated from qualifying for those playoffs.
Med City FC 3, Minnesota TwinStars 1
June 6, 2018
Prairie Seeds Academy (Brooklyn Park, Minn.)
Claudio Repetto continued to rip up the conference en route to an important road victory against a Minnesota TwinStars team that the Mayhem will likely be fighting for a playoff spot should Minneapolis City or VSLT fall off. Repetto gave the visitors a fairly early lead with a strike inside twenty minutes but Anayo Kwazema retaliated with a goal of his own in the 33rd minute. Not long before halftime, Med City broke the deadlock via Alvaro Adan Urrea. The Mayhem never looked back and Repetto added his second of the game just after the second half commenced.
Minnesota TwinStars vs. Sioux Falls Thunder, June 13
Sioux Falls Thunder 2, Dakota Fusion 3
June 6, 2018
Jim Gotta Stadium (Moorhead, Minn.)
In this season’s first installment of the Dakota Derby, the southerners almost pulled off what might have been considered a shock upset before the season started. How the season is actually going made the game a must-win for Dakota and that’s what it did. Manny Rosas Quiroz gave the Thunder the lead after just three minutes but two quick goals from Miah Wills and George Gauld put Dakota up 2-1 after ten minutes. Things calmed down until Jade Johnson’s goal in the 44th minute put the hosts up 3-1. Sioux Falls got some late heroics from Eric Beltran but it wasn’t enough to steal a point.
Up next:
Sioux Falls Thunder at Minnesota TwinStars, June 13
VSLT FC 1, Duluth FC 0
June 6, 2018
Public Schools Stadium (Duluth, Minn.)
VSLT got what could prove to be a crucial win in its campaign to conquer the North. The Sky Blues gutted out yet another 1-0 win, this time against the defending conference champions. This one looked to be ending as a draw until Mauricio Mendoza Nochez’s stoppage time stunner to bag all three points for the St. Paulites.
La Crosse Aris 1, Minneapolis City SC 5
June 6, 2018
Hopkins High School (Hopkins, Minn.)
The Crows continued to run riot with a second consecutive 5-1 win, although this one was more expected. Tim Wills netted the first of three in the 20th minute, with Max Kent doubling City’s lead in the 23rd. Sekou Kromah found his first of the year in the 34th minute to give the hosts a large first half lead. That margin was cut into by Aris’ Joshua Donkor in the 43rd minute, but that was all the firepower the Wisconsinites could muster. Wills added two in the 55th and 64th minutes to extend the lead as the Crows unrelenting offense rolled along.
VSLT FC at La Crosse Aris
June 9, 2018
Viterbo Sports Complex (La Crosse, Wis.)
The game was called off after nineteen minutes due to heavy rain and will need to be rescheduled.
Up next:
VSLT FC vs. Duluth FC, June 16
La Crosse Aris at Dakota Fusion, June 15
Dakota Fusion 0, Duluth FC 1
June 9, 2018
Public Schools Stadium (Duluth, Minn.)
Dakota was yet again unable to best Duluth despite a close scoreline, and for the third time in less than two months, the Fusion fell to the BlueGreens. Duluth needed the win to keep pace with the top teams in the conference and position themselves to take advantage should either of the two playoff placeholders lose form. This victory came off the foot of Joe Watt in the 58th minute.
Up next:
Dakota Fusion vs. La Crosse Aris, June 15
Duluth FC at VSLT FC, June 16
Minneapolis City SC 2, Med City FC 1
June 9, 2018
Rochester Regional Stadium (Rochester, Minn.)
Minneapolis City pulled off an improbable season double over Med City with another close win. Nick Hutton’s top corner rocket in the 20th minute put the Crows up and Will Kidd doubled the lead twenty minutes later. The Mayhem then applied copious amounts of pressure, eventually breaking through courtesy of Francisco Neto in the 54th minute. The visitors held on defensively and snatched three points that hoisted them into first place by themselves at the halfway mark of the season.
Up next:
Minneapolis City SC at Minnesota TwinStars, June 14
Med City FC vs. Minnesota TwinStars, June 16
NPSL North Standings
| Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GD | Points | Possible |
| Minneapolis City | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 17 | 38 |
| VSLT | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 37 |
| Duluth | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 31 |
| Med City | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 29 |
| TwinStars | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 34 |
| Dakota Fusion | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | -5 | 9 | 27 |
| Sioux Falls | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -1 | 4 | 25 |
| La Crosse Aris | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | -30 | 0 | 21 |
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