2 weeks Ago By Eric Peterson
FARGO — North Dakota State senior Olivia Watson has an added community pride in the success of the Bison women's soccer team this fall. The Moorhead High School graduate has helped put NDSU in position to win a Summit League championship for the first time in nearly a decade. “I’ve always been someone that watches NDSU and knows their athletics," Watson said.
“It means so much to be able to represent our community in a positive light.” The Bison host St. Thomas at 1 p.
m. Sunday at Dacotah Field to close out the regular season. A victory gives the Bison the Summit title and the No.
1 seed for the conference tournament. NDSU hasn't won a conference crown and earned the top seed since 2016. “It’s really powerful to be feeling that at the end of my senior year," Watson said.
The Bison (9-5-3, 5-1-1 Summit) are assured at least the No. 2 seed for the Summit tournament, even with a loss against the Tommies, who are in seventh place in the conference. “We know what we can achieve with a good result on Sunday," Bison head coach Mike Regan said.
“It would be an unbelievable achievement for sure. ..
. Internally, we’ve always thought we could compete with the higher end of the league.” Externally, the Bison weren't highly regarded to start the regular season.
NDSU was picked to finish in seventh place among nine teams in the preseason Summit League coaches' poll in mid-August. “In all honesty, we were picked seventh and we deserved to be picked seventh based on last year," Regan said. Watson said the prediction, however, provided a level of incentive throughout the season.
“We definitely use it as motivation, but at the same time we kind of just ignore it," Watson said. “We know we’re better than that.” The Bison have blended veterans like Watson with younger players like freshman forward Morgan Russmann, from Bettendorf, Iowa.
Russmann leads the team with nine goals and 21 points through 17 games. Watson is tied for third on the team with 10 points, including four goals and two assists. Junior midfielder Devon Kavanagh ranks second with 13 points with four goals and five assists.
Sophomore midfielder Hannah Arnold has 10 points, including four assists. “We’ve had so many different players who are hungry to score goals and have the ability to score goals," Watson said. “We have a really good team dynamic this year.
...
We all just have one goal and that’s to just win. We have really good team chemistry on and off the field.” Regan said the final game of last season was maybe a "slight turning point" for the program.
The Bison earned a 1-0 victory against perennial league power Denver to close out the regular season. That snapped the Pioneers' 57-game streak of being unbeaten in regulation Summit League play. While the Bison fell short of earning a spot in the conference tournament last fall, that victory resonated.
"I credit that game a lot to the position we’re in now," Watson said. “It was kind of like a switch in our mentality. .
.. We can beat anyone in our conference.
” Watson has played in 67 games, including 57 starts, during her Bison career. She's scored 38 points, including 16 goals. “A local kid that’s been awesome.
" said Regan, who is in his seventh season as Bison head coach. “During my time here, she’s been one of the best at it. She’s someone who always puts her best out there.
...
She's one of the best midfielders in the league." Watson said team chemistry has played a critical role in this season's success. “The people we have on the team now are willing to empty their tanks every game and get it done," Watson said.
“We are accomplishing something bigger than we probably thought we could have. ..
. It’s been a lot of personal connections and friendships that started right at the beginning of the year.”.
