The Minnesota State women’s soccer team is headed to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II national tournament for the third time in program history.
The Mavericks (17-1-6) prevailed in a nail-biting Central Region match against Central Missouri on Sunday, securing their spot in the quarterfinals with a thrilling 1-0 overtime win at South Recreation Complex in Warrensburg, Mo.
Former Ankeny Centennial star Courtney Kovacs, a junior, played 88 of the 106 minutes in the match. She took two shots, one of them on goal, for the Mavericks.
“Courtney has moved from central defender her first two years to a holding midfielder at least for this tournament,” said Chris Allen, her former coach at Centennial. “She was critical in this win from this position by making some big defensive plays. She also had some chances at goal late in the game.”
Kovacs has played in 21 of the 24 games this season with 20 starts. She scored her first goal of the season on Nov. 1 in a 3-0 victory at Bemidji State that allowed Minnesota State to win its seventh NSIC regular season championship.
Former Ankeny standouts Eden Gibson and Kennedy Macke are also members of the Mavericks’ squad. Gibson, a junior defender, has played a total of 81 minutes in four games this season. Macke, a junior midfielder, has not played due to an injury.
Sunday’s game featured two evenly-matched teams battling through 90 minutes of regulation, plus an additional 15-plus minutes of overtime before the decisive moment came. Minnesota State dominated offensively with 10 shots on goal, while Central Missouri managed five.
The breakthrough came in the 106th minute when Avery Korsching seized an opportunity. After blocking a clearing attempt, Korsching skillfully dribbled the ball down the field and fired a high shot into the left corner for her fourth goal of the season.
The ball glanced off Central Missouri’s goalkeeper and found the back of the net, sealing victory for Minnesota State.
The Jennies (17-5-2) hit the crossbar minutes earlier, but the game remained deadlocked.
The Mavericks advance to the Elite Eight and will host for the first time since 2019 at The Pitch. Time will be announced in the coming days.
Minnesota State hosts No. 17-ranked Grand Valley State on Saturday with a chance to reach the NCAA Final Four for the first time. The Lakers and Mavericks also played in Mankato in the 2019 Elite Eight and GVSU won, 5-2.
With the victory over Central Missouri, the Mavericks improved to 14-14-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Their first appearance came in 2003.