Box Score MANKATO, Minn. – A goal and an assist from senior
Brandie Beale put the University of Nebraska at Omaha into the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship Tournament once again, as the No. 23 Mavericks scored a 2-0 victory over No. 4 Minnesota State, Mankato, Friday afternoon.
UNO (14-5-1) will take on No. 1 Grand Valley State Sunday at 1 p.m. in Mankato for a trip to the Final Four. The Lakers defeated UNO, 1-0, in last year's quarterfinals, denying the Mavs a fifth-straight trip to the Final Four.
Friday's win avenged two previous losses to MSU this season and extended UNO's unbeaten streak to 11 matches. Nebraska-Omaha's last loss was to Minnesota State, 4-2, on Sept. 30. MSU finishes the season at 17-3-1.
Beale scored her seventh goal of the season, her second game-winner, at the 27:48 mark, off an assist from
Mykala Hanson.
Casey Bigsby scored an insurance goal, her team-leading 10th of the season, in the second half at 69:06, with Beale picking up her 10th assist of the year, the 36th of her career, extending her own school record.
As has been the case during UNO's incredible streak, the team outshot its opponent by a wide margin, 15-8, though the shots on goal were closer, 5-4. Senior goalie
Ellen Petersen stopped all four shots for her ninth shutout of the season, putting her record at 11-4-1, and dropping her goals against average to 0.80.