Noonan, Bulldogs nab NSIC title

Nobody promised that life was fair, and Sarah Noonan’s learning that lesson in spades.
The sophomore midfielder/forward for the University of Minnesota-Duluth women’s soccer team just went through a glorious season that saw the Bulldogs go 8-0 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) regular season—and 14-3-3 overall counting non-conference play.
Then they marched through the three-round NSIC tournament unbeaten, winning the crown with a 2-1 victory over the defending champion Winona State Warriors on Saturday in Minneapolis.
Yet all of it was not enough to impress the NCAA Division II voting committee that decides which four teams in the region advance to the nationals.
In results released Monday afternoon, UMD ended up a close fifth in the final poll behind North Dakota, Minnesota State-Mankato, Truman State, and Nebraska-Omaha.
“Our coach [Greg Cane] told us that the news today shouldn’t diminish the good feelings from our weekend results,” said Noonan. “We went out on top.”
Despite their unblemished conference record, allowing only one goal in the process during the entire NSIC season, Noonan and the Bulldogs were left out of the championship mix because of their 3-3-3 non-conference record—along with the NSIC’s low rating overall as a conference.
“We played teams like Truman State and Minnesota State-Mankato well [both scoreless draws], but we had a couple of unnecessary losses, too,” said Noonan, citing a 4-3 loss to North Dakota State on Sept. 14 when the Bulldogs surrendered two goals in the final three minutes.
But not being able to square off with the best teams in the nation doesn’t take anything away from the Bulldogs’ championship in Noonan’s eyes.
“I’m definitely more satisfied [than last season],” she said, recalling last year’s 2-0 loss to Winona State in the NSIC final. “We expected to win the title this year. We knew we had a strong team returning, with us losing only one senior.
“Winona State is an up and down team, and when it’s a big game, they’re usually up,” Noonan noted. “But we found out they weren’t as strong as last year when we played them in our first meeting this year [a 1-0 Bulldogs win Oct. 4].
“With them being our main rivals and having lost to them last year in the championship, it definitely made this special.”
As for Noonan herself, the second time around the U.S. college soccer circuit was significantly easier than the first.
“I got some really good playing time and [Cane] believed in me, and the results just kind of fell into place,” remarked Noonan, who finished the season with five goals and four assists after scoring four times last year.
“It was nice going into my second year already knowing the girls, and knowing the game better,” she added. “I didn’t have to think about the game as much, it just became more instinctive.”
Noonan got stronger as the year went on, scoring twice in the final two regular-season games, including the game-winner in a 3-1 victory over St. Cloud State.
She then tallied another game-winner in the 5-0 quarter-final triumph over Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 4.
The Bulldogs then plowed over Wayne State 8-1 in the semi-finals last Friday in viciously cold conditions—made worse for Noonan who didn’t start the game.
She was left on the bench alternating between celebrating her team’s five-goal first half and hoping she wouldn’t turn into a cleats-wearing icicle.
“At least we got to wear a sweatshirt under our jersey for the game, and leggings, too,” said Noonan. “If you can keep your body warm, you can handle the cold mentally.”
UMD will be able to put their destiny back in their own hands starting next season, when the university moves up from the NSIC to the tougher and more-respected North Central Conference (NCC)—joining the likes of North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, and Minnesota State-Mankato.
“It will be a challenge to step up to the NCC,” admitted Noonan. “We’re losing a lot of girls that we can’t replace [easily]. But we’ve grown out of the NSIC and need to go on to the next level.
“I think UMD is ready for it in every sport.”