Sioux Falls, S.D. - The University of Minnesota Duluth played its best soccer to end the regular season and transitioned that into the postseason with what is now a four-game winning streak after a 1-0 upset victory over second-seed No. 24 Augustana (S.D.) College in the first round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference/U.S. Bank Postseason Tournament on Wednesday afternoon.

UMD (9-9-1) was without NSIC Offensive Player of the Year Maureen Stormont for the game, but got just enough offense, and continued the stout defense the Bulldogs had displayed all season, to shut down Augustana (14-5) and avenge a 3-1 defeat in the NSIC regular season. UMD will now await its next opponent with Winona State University and Southwest Minnesota State University yet to play this evening, but the Bulldogs do know they will be traveling to Mankato where No. 1-ranked top-seed Minnesota State University awaits Upper Iowa University on the other side of the bracket, each winning by an identical 1-0 score in their quarterfinal match-ups.

HIGHLIGHT
• Sophomore forward Kailey Beatt had three shots off the bench and netted her first goal of 2013 with an assist from senior midfielder Hannah Keil.
• Senior Marissa Rosa earned her seventh shutout of 2014 and third in a row with four saves.

The Bulldogs controlled the first half offensively, out-shooting the Vikings 10-5 in the opening frame. Augie senior goalkeeper Ashley Limmer made four saves in the opening half, but Beatt caught a rebound of a Keil shot right in the center of the box to break the scoreless tie in the 38th minute. The Vikings challenged with a pair of shots on net to close the period but Rosa shut the door and the Bulldogs took a lead to the locker room they would not give up. Augustana out-shot UMD 10-2 in the second half, but put just a pair on-target as the Bulldog defense stood tall in the to finish out the shutout.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will travel to Mankato, Minnesota for the semifinals of the NSIC/U.S. Bank Postseason Tournament on Friday afternoon. UMD awaits the final conference quarterfinal Wednesday evening to learn its opponent for Friday.