For a team that scored just three goals in its first seven games, the Bears (3-5-2) have found their offense to the tune of eight goals in their last three matches. The team is unbeaten in that stretch (2-0-1).

“Regardless of who you’re playing, it’s always good to score goals like we did today,” Northern Colorado coach Tim Barrera said. “I wish we could have finished a bit better, but overall, I thought we created some good goals with some good passes.”

Senior forward Ariel Cook led the offensive explosion for the Bears, as she came up with four points on the day.

Cook opened up the scoring for the Bears in just the fourth minute of play. She earned herself a penalty kick after being fouled on a breakaway in the box. The forward calmly buried a shot past Coyotes goalkeeper Mackenzie Viktor to give the Bears an early lead.

South Dakota (0-6-2) answered back quickly though, as Rachel Greene scored just 40 seconds after Cook’s goal. Greene beat Northern Colorado keeper Kirstin Salminen on a shot from 20 yards out that sailed into the lower-left corner.

The action continued to come in flurries, with the Bears once again finding the back of the net in the 11th minute when JJ Wykstra earned her second goal of the season. Madison Yoswa found Wykstra with a low cross that landed in front of the goal. Wykstra knew what to do with the ball from there, as she pounded it past Viktor.

Once again though, the Coyotes proved to be pesky, as they got level in the 26th minute on a goal from Jenny Teslow. Her chance came off a nicely placed through-ball from Lauren Bennett that put Teslow through the defense.

Just minutes later, the final goal of a hectic first half was scored after Cook found Kimmie Feidler with a quick pass. Feidler ripped a shot from the top of the box that beat Viktor to the upper-right corner.

Compared to the first half, the second half was relatively sedate as both teams battled to get the upper-hand. Finally, in the 87th minute, Danielle Birdsall joined the scoring frenzy after receiving a creative flick off the head of Cook. Birdsall found herself with a one-on-one chance against Viktor and didn’t waste the opportunity as she buried the ball into the back of the net.

After scoring three goals in the first seven games, the Bears (2-5-1) scored two goals in a game for the first time this season.

“That was an exceptional effort on the road against a good team,” Northern Colorado coach Tim Barrera said. “I am really proud of the way the kids worked hard. It was a really good overall team effort.”

Danielle Birdsall, the defending Big Sky Offensive MVP had been held scoreless in the team’s first seven games, but found the game-winner late in the second half.

In the 75th minute, Kimmie Feidler let go a corner kick that was headed off the crossbar and back into play. Birdsall knocked the rebound past Bluejays goalkeeper Katie Jo Swanson to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.

Creighton (3-4-0) managed to get out to an early lead, as Brittney Neumann scored her second goal of the season in just the 11th minute. Neumann beat Northern Colorado goalkeeper Kirstin Salminen one-on-one after receiving a through-ball from Lauren Cingoranelli.

For the second match in a row, the Bears found themselves in an early hole. But this time, the team wasted no time in digging themselves out as Angela Csaszar scored her first career goal in the 12th minute. The goal came off an Ariel Cook cross, giving Cook her first point of the year.

“I was proud of the way the players fought back,” Barrera said. “We turned right around and got that early goal back and they worked hard to get the corner late.”

Next Up: Northern Colorado hosts Drake on Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

In a game in which the two teams launched 19 shots, Vanessa Thomas set up the goal with a pass to the center of the penalty area. Koziol latched on and fired home the winner in the game’s dying moments.

The win moved the Aggies to 5-2-0 on the season, and the Bears dropped to 1-4-1.

Kirstin Salminen had four saves for the Bears.

The lone score of the match came from Brittany Dunn in the 72nd minute. Dunn got to a ball near the left corner of the box, spun around and sent one in to the right side of the net.

Air Force had several chances on the night, but could never finish. The Falcons’ best opportunity came early in the second half, when Stephanie Patterson received a perfectly placed pass from Bridgett Murphy and got a one-on-one chance with UNC goalkeeper Kirsten Salmimen. Patterson was able to get the shot past Salmimen, but her shot missed just missed the left post.

Salminen finished the night with four saves. Air Force’s Kelly Stambaugh made six saves in the losing effort.

With the win, UNC improved to 1-3-1 on the season, while Air Force dropped to 3-2-0.

The Bears return to action at New Mexico State on Sept. 9. Air Force hosts Weber State that day.

The Bears (0-3-1) fell behind early and despite battling back and finding a goal late, the Aggies (4-0-0) held on for the victory.

Utah State managed to find the game-winner when forward Shantel Flanary scored her second goal of the game on a shot from 17 yards out that sailed past Kirstin Salminen’s arms and into the upper left-hand corner.

The game’s first goal came in just the fifth minute of play, as Flanary scored her fourth goal of the young season. Flanary was able to put the ball home after receiving a cross from Kendra Pemberton.

“When you get down early, you just have to chase the game a little,” said Northern Colorado coach Tim Barrera. “I mean, one goal isn’t like five, you just have to play the way you want to play.

“I thought the team fought back well. We made some personnel changes in the second half, especially putting Madison [Yoswa] in the back, which helped us push forward. We just ran out of time.”

After the quick goal, the Bears settled down and began focusing on finding the equalizer. Both teams had a number of chances in the first half, including several Northern Colorado crosses into the box that could not find feet on the other side.

Coming out of halftime, the Aggies were able to mount some more offensive pressure. Fifteen minutes into the half, both Flanary and Kersey Davis had attempts at goal from point-blank range, but Bears’ keeper Salminen came up with a save on Davis’s shot, while defender Eryn Daniel kept the ball out of the net after Flanary’s attempt.

After a number of threats, the Bears finally broke through a two-game scoring drought when JJ Wykstra put home a cross from Danielle Birdsall. The goal came in the 81st minute.

With renewed intensity, Northern Colorado continued to push forward offensively, but couldn’t find the equalizer as time ran out.

Next up for the Bears, is the beginning of a four-game road trip as the they make the short trip to the Air Force Academy to take on the Cadets on Friday, Sept. 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

This time however, even with the extra 20 minutes added on, neither team could find a goal, as the Bears (0-2-1) and Jacksonville (1-1-1) finished with a 0-0 draw.

“I thought tonight was a fair result,” Northern Colorado coach Tim Barrera said. “Jacksonville is a good team and I thought both teams had plenty of opportunities.”

In the 79th minute, Bears’ goalkeeper Kirstin Salminen kept the score knotted at zero by making a save on a shot by Jacksonville’s Eva Leeper. The Dolphins forward found some space inside the box and let rip a shot from 13 yards out, but was turned away with a diving effort from Salminen.

For the remainder of regulation time, the two teams could not muster any sort of threatening attack.
Just as the final overtime period was wrapping up, the Bears mounted one more offensive push, as Alexsys Tamayo bulldogged her way past several defenders and took a shot from just inside the box. The ball sailed over the head of Sara Sierra and just over the crossbar.

The game was a physical one, as the two teams earned 21 total fouls.

The Bears will wrap up their weekend at Jackson Stadium on Sunday, when they play host to the Utah State University Aggies. Kickoff is set for noon

DU prevailed in the opener for both teams at the Pioneers’ CIBER Field when Nicholette DiGiacomo’s flick was punched into the back of the net by Kristen Hamilton in the 109th minute.

It was the second goal of the night for Hamilton, who provided all of DU’s scoring in a 2-1 win. It was a hard-fought win in that both teams had chances and neither was having much fun as the rain got more intense as the match stretched into the evening.

Hamilton opened the scoring in the 35th minute, with Kaitlin Bast and Kalie Vaughn getting assists. The 1-0 halftime lead was a bit flattering for the hosts, who had trouble connecting in the first 20 minutes. The Pioneers and the Bears each finished the half with six shots.

In the second half, with the lights on and a drizzle settling on the field, both sides pressed for another tally. Northern Colorado finally found the goal in the 81st minute when midfielder Kimmie Fiedler got one past DU’s Maria Khan.

That would be all the scoring in regulation as the two teams went to a “golden goal” overtime with any score in the two 10-minute periods determining the winner. After chances for both sides, Hamilton snatched the winner minutes before what would have been the final whistle.

Next Up: DU and UNC will head for the second match day of the Colorado Cup at the University of Colorado’s Prentup Field in Boulder on Sunday. DU (1-0) will play Colorado College (0-1) at 12:30, with the Bears (0-1) meeting the Buffaloes (1-0) at 3 p.m.

CU routed Colorado College 5-0 in the Colorado Cup opener and season opener for the two sides earlier in the evening at CIBER Field.

With the loss, the Bears fell to 10-5-3 overall and 3-2-2 in Big Sky Conference play. The fourth place finish in the Big Sky is their highest since the 2007 season, when they finished in a tie for second.

Northern Arizona finally broke the 0-0 deadlock after Jennifer Beaudoin scored her first goal of the season on a corner kick from Brenna Boies. The goal came in the 73rd minute.

Both goalkeepers put in strong performances, with Bears’ keeper Kirstin Salminen making seven saves. Northern Arizona goalkeeper, Tori Rocke, was just a bit better however, saving all nine shots she faced.

The good news for Northern Colorado is that it will have a chance to exact some revenge against Northern Arizona, as the two teams will lock horns again in the first round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The tournament will be held at Flagstaff and kicks off Friday.

The win moved the University of Northern Colorado to 9-3-2 overall, 2-0-1 Big Sky in a match with the previously front-running Vikings. Portland State dropped to 6-8-1, 2-1-0 Big Sky.

The Bears are tied with Northern Arizona (7-3-3 overall) for the conference lead.

Northern Colorado hosts another Big Sky power in Sacramento State (5-7-1, 2-1-0 Big Sky) at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Forward Ariel Cook got the Bears on the board first when she took a Danielle Birdsall and beat ‘keeper Ryann Waldman to the left post. The goal in the 56th minute was Cook’s seventh on the year.

Weber State countered quickly however, as Jessie Baddley headed a Lindsay Ortgiesen corner-kick into the net just four minutes later.

Neither team was able to score from there or in two overtime periods.

“I thought tonight was a well-played match by both sides,” head coach Tim Barrera said. “Weber State is a lot better than its record indicates, but we certainly had some chances we just didn’t convert.”

Northern Colorado ‘keeper Kirstin Salminen made 12 saves on the night, a season-high.

“I thought Kirstin was our best player tonight,” Barrera said. “She made some big saves and kept us in the match.”

With the tie, the Bears move their overall record to 7-3-2, 0-0-1 in the Big Sky. They continue their Big Sky season with another road game against Idaho State on Saturday. Northern Colorado will be looking to avenge its 2-0 loss in Pocatello last year. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.