SIOUX FALLS - After a strong first half against perennial power Minnesota State, University of Sioux Falls Soccer ran out of steam and fell 4-0 on Friday night. The Cougars drop to 1-5-1 on the season with a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference record of 1-3-0.
 
The Cougars went toe-to-toe with the Mavericks (3-2-1, 2-1-0 NSIC) in the first half, holding MSU off the board behind seven saves from goalkeeper Morgan Perkins. Becca Schmitz followed MSU's first shot on goal with a 14th-minute scoring effort from distance, but it was corralled by the Maverick goaltender.
 
Perkins stood tall in the first half, turning away all seven of Minnesota State's shots on goal. In the 30th minute, she blocked a header off a corner kick and forced the shot off the rebound to go high. She added two more big saves in the final seven minutes of the first half, taking the Cougars into halftime even with Minnesota State at 0-0.
 
The Mavericks came out in the second half pushing forward and were rewarded with a goal in the 49th minute after a scramble broke in favor of MSU and the Alesha Duccini put away the shot from inside the box.
 
Sioux Falls tightened up again and Alexandria Scott recorded a pair of shots on goal off free kicks, but the MSU keeper corralled both. Perkins added two more saves before a fortunate bounce after an Elisa Glab tackle led to Duccini's second goal of the game in the 78th minute.
 
As the short-handed Cougars tired, Minnesota State added two more tallies, scoring in the 79th and 81st minutes to reach their final score of 4-0.
 
Scott finished with three total shots to lead the Cougars and Lola Weiss's 76th-minute shot was blocked shortly after contact to round out USF's scoring efforts. Perkins finished with 10 saves on the night.
 
Sioux Falls heads to the road to close the weekend, facing Concordia-St. Paul on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. in St. Paul, Minn.