Submitted photo The Minot High School Mudgetts begin their 2023 NDHSAA state football title defense
History is being made for the fourth time as the Minot High School girls soccer team prepares for the 2024 NDHSAA Girls Soccer State Tournament, which will be held Thursday, May 30 through Saturday, June 1 at Duane Carlson Stadium in Minot.
The Mudgetts have been on a roll for the past few years, winning three consecutive state titles, currently unbeaten in 68 games and with a shutout season in 2024. The bar has been set high and so are the expectations for all who want to join the team.
Amazingly, there are only four seniors on the team, a group that has never lost a game or finished a season without a state title while attending the school from grades 9 through 12.
The rest of the team is made up of three third-graders, four second-graders, four first-graders and three eighth-graders. A very well-rounded team with one thing in common: they attack and they win.
The Mudgetts have scored 56 points in the first half and 63 in the second half this season for a combined 119 points. They have not allowed opponents to score a goal this year. In Western Dakota Association (WDA) games, Minot High School freshman goalie Kinsli Gilmore faced 40 shots, none of which were in the net.
Seniors Emerson Perin is the team’s statistical leader with 31 goals and 20 assists, while Macy Burke has 22 goals and 17 assists. Perin has 51 points on the season and Burke has 39 points on the year.
The Mazzottes have six players with double-digit goals and four players with double-digit assists in 2024. In total, they will have 21 players with goals or assists in 2024.
What’s interesting is that the Mudgetts are playing each team as part of their regular schedule, taking it one game at a time and working on improving as a team and as individuals. What many don’t understand is the attitude of their opponents each game.
For every team on the schedule, Minot High School is considered a chance to win the “Super Bowl” or even the “World Series” in one game. Every opponent is gearing up for the once in a lifetime opportunity to forever go down in history as the team that scored against the Mudgetts, the team that beat the Mudgetts, or the team that beat the Mudgetts to win the State Title.
Minot High School’s coaches understand this fact and praise the girls for staying focused on their game, taking every drill, practice, possession, halftime and game throughout the season.
The Mudgetts’ strength lies in their speed, not only at their feet but also in their passing game on the wing. No matter what game plan the defense they face and what pressure they put on Minot High School, the team will adjust, apply the necessary passing and attacking pressure, find the gap and score a goal.
The schedule for the first day of the state tournament is as follows:
Minot High School, the No. 1 seed in the West, will play Fargo North High School, the No. 4 seed in the East, at noon on Thursday, May 30. Shanley High School, the No. 2 seed in the East, will play Mandan High School, the No. 3 seed in the West, also on Thursday at 2:15 p.m.
Fargo Davis, the No. 1 seed in the East, will face Bismarck Legacy, the No. 4 seed in the West, at 4:30 p.m., followed by Jamestown, the No. 2 seed in the West, facing Grand Forks Red River, the No. 3 seed in the East, at 6:45 p.m. to close out the first day.
Join the crowd and watch history being made.
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