MINNEAPOLIS - It's never easy playing on the road, nor playing against a top-20 team, but the UND soccer team had to do both Friday night. Unfortunately, the Fighting Hawks fell short against the No. 17 Minnesota Golden Gophers, dropping a 3-0 decision to the border rivals at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.

Despite the loss, head coach Matt Kellogg still felt that there were some positives to take away from the match.

“I walked away from tonight's game very proud of our group,” Kellogg said. “We played an extremely dangerous top-20 team and gave up one goal through the run of play. We were able to create some dangerous chances of our own, but just couldn't capitalize on them.”

While the Gophers did score three goals, only one came during the heat of battle as the third goal was scored off a breakaway; Minnesota's first goal was scored off a penalty kick and the second came off a set play from a corner. All three goals came in the first half.

“We made some adjustments at halftime and the players were able to keep Minnesota off the board in the second half,” Kellogg added. “We fought hard in the full 90 minutes and I know this experience will help us the rest of the season.”

Freshman keeper and defending Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week Catherine Klein kept UND in the game with 16 saves over the course of 90 minutes. The 16 saves is a career best for Klein, and it narrowly misses the single-game record of 18 set by former goalkeeper Kristi Hestdalen in 2014.

Klein made a total of seven saves in the first half, while stopping all nine shots she faced in the second half.

Even though UND conceded three goals to Minnesota, the Fighting Hawks are not the first team to see that result handed to them as Minnesota defeated Utah, 3-0, Aug. 21.

The loss is also just the first for North Dakota as the Fighting Hawks entered the game against the Gophers with an undefeated record; UND now sits at 1-1-1 through the first three games.

North Dakota now takes on the Omaha Mavericks in Omaha, Neb., on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is set for noon against the Mavs.