MINOT, ND (MSU) – Maddie Kindred broke Minot State’s shutout record on Sunday in a 1-0 victory over Wayne State. Kindred piled up seven saves for the 19th shutout of her career. That tops the previous record of 18.3 by Erin Rafferty from 2015-19. Minot State scored the lone goal of the day when Mila Robichon scored her second goal of the season in the 12th minute, assisted by Anabel Noches. The win boosted the Beavers record to 7-2-4 overall and 7-1-2 in NSIC play. The Beavers head back onto the road to square off in their arguably most difficult weekend of the year as they head out to square off against nationally ranked Minnesota State-Mankato next Friday with kickoff set for 3 p.m. MSU then travels to the Twin Cities to play the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears next Sunday with kickoff set for Noon.

————————————————

MINOT, ND – Pairings are set for the first round of the Class 9B football playoffs on Saturday. We’ll broadcast the MLS game at Surrey on 106.9 K-Heart and online at khrt.com.

 

 

First Round – (Sat, 10/15)
#1 LaMoure-Litchville-Marion, bye
Richland at Maple River, 12 pm (at Hope-Page High School)
#8 St. John, bye
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood at Surrey, 1 pm
#4 Cavalier, bye
Larimore at North Star, 2 pm (in Cando)
#5 May-Port-CG, bye
Hatton-Northwood at Wyndmere-Lidgerwood, 1 pm (at Wyndmere High School)
#2 New Salem-Almont, bye
Kidder County at Hettinger County, 1 pm (at Mott-Regent High School)
#7 Grant County-Flasher, bye
Hettinger-Scranton at South Border, 2 pm (at Wishek High School)
#3 North Prairie, bye
New Rockford-Sheyenne at North Border, 1 pm (in Pembina)
#6 Divide County, bye
Tioga at Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn, 2 pm (in Westhope)

——————————————-

 

VIKINGS-BEARS

 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings established a remarkable rhythm early. Their resiliency surfaced again late. The reward is being alone in first place in the NFC North. Cousins scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 2:26 remaining on Minnesota’s fifth third-down conversion of its go-ahead drive, and the Vikings snapped out of another mid-game slump just in time to beat the Chicago Bears 29-22 on Sunday. “I’m not where I was at the end of last season in that old system,” Cousins said, “but we’re developing it and we’re getting there and I’m excited about that continued growth.” Cameron Dantzler sealed the victory for the Vikings (4-1) by ripping the ball away from former teammate Ihmir Smith-Marsette near the one-minute mark after a pass from Justin Fields to the Minnesota 39. “It’s a start. That’s all it is, though,” said Cousins, who went 32 for 41 for 296 yards.

 

The Vikings have trailed with less than 5 minutes remaining in three straight games and won each time. They took the lead against Detroit for good with 45 seconds to go in Week 3 and pulled ahead at New Orleans in Week 4 with 24 seconds left. “Don’t necessarily think we found that four quarters of consistent ball that we’re looking for, but as we’ve learned it’s not easy to do in the NFL,” said first-year coach Kevin O’Connell, whose team has beaten all three division foes at home.

 

Fields went 15 for 21 for a season-high 208 yards and his first touchdown pass in 15 quarters and rushed eight times for 47 yards, but the Bears (2-3) were ultimately overtaken by the Vikings and their skill position stars. Justin Jefferson finished with a career-high 12 catches for 154 yards and caught a 2-point conversion pass from Cousins to push the lead to seven. Dalvin Cook rushed for 94 yards and two scores against a defense that has been vulnerable on the ground in coach Matt Eberflus’ first season. Cousins set a franchise record with 17 consecutive completions to start the game, and O’Connell put on a play-calling clinic as the Vikings reached the end zone on their first three possessions for a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter. Three times last week against the Saints, they had to settle for field goals after crossing the 20.

 

David Montgomery returned from a one-game absence to an ankle injury and scored Chicago’s first touchdown on a 9-yard run late in the second quarter. Rookie Velus Jones Jr. scored on his first career offensive touch, a 9-yard reception off a jet-motion shovel pass to cap the first possession of the third quarter and make it a one-score game. “I think we took a step forward, for sure,” Fields said. “A lot of teams in this league would have just laid down and stopped playing.” Early in the fourth quarter, Kindle Vildor picked off Cousins as he rolled right on first down and tried to connect with Adam Thielen at the 30. The return gave the Bears the ball near midfield. Two plays later, Fields got loose for what would’ve been a 52-yard touchdown run, but Smith-Marsette was called for an illegal block above the waist to wipe that out. Cairo Santos instead made his third field goal of the game to give the Bears for a 22-21 lead with 9:31 to go. The Vikings responded with a 17-play, 80-yard march that drained an even 7 minutes off the clock. That drive included a 5-yard run with less than three minutes left by the pocket-preferring Cousins on third-and-5 from the Chicago 20. “I respect the man’s game. He’s a vet. You give him something, he’s going to take it,” Bears safety Eddie Jackson said.

 

RECORD SETTER

Jefferson passed Hall of Famer Randy Moss during the first drive to set a Vikings record for most receptions (236) in a player’s first three seasons. Jefferson got there in 36 games. Moss had 226 catches in 48 games. “We let them get off to a hot start,” Jackson said. “We knew that was the guy they were going to.”

 

PREGAME POMP

With division rival Green Bay playing early in London, much of the broadcast was shown on the videoboards as fans filed in. When the Giants took the lead for good in the 29-22 victory over the Packers, the Vikings’ game operations crew sounded the celebratory Gjallarhorn. The crowd roared as Green Bay fell to 3-2 and Minnesota climbed ahead in the division standings.

 

STILL SPECIAL?

The Vikings under new special teams coordinator Matt Daniels had been stellar in nearly every facet of the kicking game over the first four games, but there were some hiccups Sunday. Greg Joseph, who was the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after going 5 for 5 on field goals to beat the Saints, had a 53-yard try go wide right at the halftime gun and a 51-yard attempt blocked by Dominique Robinson on Minnesota’s only possession of the third quarter.

 

INJURY REPORT

Chicago: CB Jaylon Johnson (quadriceps) sat out for the second straight game. … LB Matthew Adams (calf) was hurt in the third quarter.
Minnesota: Rookie RB Ty Chandler broke his thumb on special teams and will have surgery, O’Connell said.. … Rookie CB Akayleb Evans was put in the concussion protocol the fourth quarter.

 

UP NEXT

Chicago: Hosts Washington on Thursday night.
Minnesota: Visits Miami next Sunday.

—————————————————–

 

PACKERS-GIANTS

 

LONDON (AP) — Aaron Rodgers had warned before the Packers’ trip to London that the team’s habit of only putting together one good offensive half per game wasn’t sustainable. The New York Giants proved him right. Rodgers was shut out in the second half for the second time in three games as Green Bay lost 27-22 to the Giants at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said “they kicked our butt in the second half.” It’s not the first time that’s happened this season. Rodgers said “offensively, we haven’t put two halves together.”

————————————————–

 

MINNESOTA UNITED

 

SAINT PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Franco Fragapane scored early in the first half, Jonathan González added an insurance goal in the second and Minnesota United defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 on Sunday to clinch a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Minnesota United (15-14-6) came into the match needing a win or tie to advance and improved to 3-0-2 all-time against Vancouver (12-16-7) at home. The Whitecaps needed a victory to grab a playoff berth. Minnesota United entered play with just one point in its last six matches (0-5-1) before beating Vancouver for a second time this season. It marked the first time one team beat the other twice in the same season. Emanuel Reynoso notched his 11th assist to go with 10 goals. He is one of three players to reach double figures in both categories this season — joining Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar and Carlos Vela of LAFC. Dayne St. Clair stopped six shots to earn a clean sheet for Minnesota United. Thomas Hasal had three saves for the Whitecaps. Vancouver closed out its season with three straight home wins, but the Whitecaps were 0-5-3 in their final eight road matches.

————————————————–

 

MLB-WILDCARD PLAYOFFS

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Joe Musgrove brushed off chants of “Cheater!” after a bizarre spot check by umpires on the mound, pitching his hometown San Diego Padres into the next round of the playoffs with seven innings of one-hit ball in a 6-0 victory over the New York Mets. Musgrove was working on a one-hitter with a 4-0 lead, and the spin rate was up on all six of his pitches. After Mets manager Buck Showalter came out on the field, crew chief Alfonso Marquez went to the mound, felt both of Musgrove’s ears and searched his cap and glove. Fans yelled “Cheater!” at Musgrove, whose 2017 Houston Astros were found by MLB to have stolen signs. Trent Grisham hit an RBI single and made a terrific catch in center field that helped the Padres take the best-of-three National League wild-card series two games to one. Austin Nola and Juan Soto each had a two-run single. San Diego advanced to face the top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Tuesday.