KANSAS CITY, Mo. – North Dakota's women's soccer has bested Kansas City on the road, 1-0, off sophomore goalkeeper
Thale Ruether's 11-save outing Thursday evening at Durwood Soccer Stadium.
The Fighting Hawks (6-6-2, 2-3-1 Summit League) are back in the win column after falling or tying their past four matches, despite having half the shot attempts as the Roos (2-8-3, 1-2-2 Summit League). UND now has five team shutouts for the season.
Ruether highlighted UND's efforts as she was a stonewall in net. She faced 20 shots for the day, recording 11 saves in the shutout. She became the first UND goalkeeper since Madi Livingston to face 20 shots and record a shutout. Livingston accomplished it most recently on Oct. 19, 2023, against St. Thomas.
Ruether also became the first Fighting Hawk goalkeeper since at least 2018 to record double-digit saves in three separate games of a single season. She first did it with a career-high 12 saves against UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 3, and once again did so with 10 saves on Oct. 4 against South Dakota.
Offensively,
Cora Ellermann scored her seventh goal of the season with under 10 minutes remaining in the first half, which would prove to be the deciding goal of the match, extending her team lead in the category.
Jojo Muelhaupt got credited with the helper, scoring her first conference point of the season off the bench.
Both offenses came out fiery, with both teams registering at least one shot on goal within the first 15 minutes of the match. North Dakota had four shots in that span and earned a corner kick. Ruether was tested all night, making five saves in the first half while getting forced from the box multiple times.
In the 37th minute, Ellermann would put the Fighting Hawks in front after her and Muelhaupt tag teamed to steal the ball in the open field to force a two-on-one break. Off the feed from Muelhaupt, Ellermann dipped past the defender and capitalized with a smooth boot from her right foot, which rolled just underneath Kansas City's goalie. Her strike extended her goal streak to two games, while Muelhaupt recorded her career point against a Summit League opponent.
The Roos didn't back down after giving one up. Kansas City pressed and had an opening, but Ruether made an athletic diving safe to deflect the ball up, which then bounced off the bar, allowing a defender to swat the ball away.
The teams were tied with five shots each at the half, with all of Kansas City's going on goal to North Dakota's two. Despite that, it was the Fighting Hawks who went to the break with a one-goal lead.
The Roos came out strong in the first bit of the second half, registering its sixth shot of the game just 15 seconds into the period, but it sailed over Ruether's head.
The sophomore goalie continued to have a busy evening. She became a stonewall by lunging to her right and tipping a free kick just out of reach of the net for her sixth save of the match. She faced another penalty kick in the 67th minute and held strong once more. She lunged to her left at the ball as it headed straight to the net, shielding the goal with her torso and keeping the shutout intact.
In total, Ruether faced 15 shots in the second half alone, earning six saves in the process. The last shot she faced came in the 82nd minute, when she deflected her 11th shot of the game, then immediately got the 20th shot attempt of the match from Kansas City before the minute was over.
The UND offense held tight for the final seven minutes, and the Hawks exited Durwood Soccer Stadium with their sixth win of the season.
Up next, UND heads southwest to face the top-ranked team in the Summit League, Oral Roberts, Sunday at 1 p.m. in Tulsa, Okla.
Postgame Notes
- The victory tied the all-time series with the Roos, sitting now at 3-3-2
- Thale Ruether faced 20 shots for the day, recording 11 saves in the shutout. She became the first UND goalkeeper since Madi Livingston to face 20 shots and record a shutout. Livingston accomplished it most recently on Oct. 19, 2023, against St. Thomas
- Ruether also became the first Fighting Hawk goalkeeper since at least 2018 to record double-digit saves in three separate games of a single season
- Cora Ellermann scored her seventh goal of the season, extending her personal season best. Her career mark for goals sits at 12, and she's scored a goal in back-to-back games
- Four players in the field – Hannah Peters, Lillian Bashaw, Cora Ellermann and Addison Stadden – played all 90 minutes
- Jojo Muelhaupt assisted on Ellermann's goal, serving as her first career point against a Summit League opponent, as well as her first overall career point
- North Dakota has been the first to score in 10 matches this season, winning six such times
How It Happened
First Half
37:36 | UND –
Cora Ellermann (1) assisted by
Jojo Muelhaupt
For more information on North Dakota soccer, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media
@UNDsoccer.
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