Written By: Jennifer Ellis
Photography: Jason Morales Ortiz

 

 

KEY WPSL NORTHERN CONFERENCE SHOWDOWNS IN WEEK 4
Joy AC Hosts Sioux Falls City FC, MapleBrook Faces Mankato United, and More

 

Heading into Week 4 of WPSL play, marking  the second official week for the Northern Conference, this weekend promises packed action with six games scheduled on Friday and Sunday night. 
 

Sunday night's games will be particularly interesting as teams wrap up the week and solidify standings after completing the second or third round of matches this season.

 

JOY AC vs SIOUX FALLS CITY FC

Joy AC kicks off this group of end-of-week games as it matches up at home against Sioux Falls City FC. 

Joy AC is still working to find a winning rhythm after coming up short in both matches last week – losing 2-0 to Minnesota Thunder and 5-1 against Salvo SC. Despite its less than ideal performance, Joy AC was the only team to play twice in Week 3 and played its two toughest opponents first, only three days apart.  

Moving into this Sunday, Joy AC hopes to find a more favorable result against Sioux Falls City as the two teams tied 0-0 in the 2023 season. Joy AC will also have the home field advantage, potentially bolstering its winning chances even further. 

Sioux Falls City FC went 6-1-2 in 2023 to finish fourth in conference standings, two places ahead of Joy. This year, Sioux Falls City looks to replicate 2023’s success by aiming to remain in the top half of the Northern Conference and climb even higher in the final standings.

Sioux Falls City FC has yet to play a league game this season, but proved well in its two preseason friendlies. Its first game will take place on Friday, May 31, away against Rochester United FC. Many will be anticipating the start of Sioux Falls City’s season as it begins its quest for an even stronger performance this year . 

Considering last year's draw, along with Joy having home field advantage, and Sioux Falls City coming off of another tough away match only a day before, this game could be anyone’s to win.

Joy AC and Sioux Falls City FC will go head to head on Sunday, June 2nd starting at 3:00pm (CDT) at Hopkins High School Stadium in Minnetonka, MN. 

 

MAPLEBROOK FURY vs MANKATO UNITED SOCCER CLUB

Following this match, MapleBrook Fury will look to repeat last year's success against Mankato United Soccer Club on its home ground. 

MapleBrook finished fifth last season in the conference, narrowly pulling out a 1-0 win on the road against Mankato United midway through its league play. This victory, securing its second out of three total wins in 2023 was a highlight of MapleBrook’s season, showcasing its ability to secure important points away from home. This year MapleBrook will surely look to leverage both its past success and current advantage of being on its home pitch. 

Both MapleBrook and Mankato United will play their first games of the season on Friday May 31, with MapleBrook visiting Manitou F.C. and Mankato United hosting Minnesota Thunder.
 

Mankato United in particular will have a tough game against Minnesota Thunder which finished first in the conference last year and are coming off of a convincing 2-0 win against Joy AC last week.  

Evenly fatigued from a less than ideal 48 hour game turn around, each team has every reason to put its all into winning this match. As MapleBrook Fury looks to take down Mankato United Soccer club once again and Mankato looks for redemption to last year's defeat. This game is one fans won’t want to miss.  

The action between MapleBrook and Mankato United starts at 5:00pm (CST) at Fernbrook Athletic Game Field this Sunday. 

 

MANITOU F.C. vs ROCHESTER UNITED FC

Rounding out Sunday’s action is a match up between Manitou F.C. and Rochester United FC in the two’s  second games of the weekend, with both teams kicking off their respective seasons on Friday. Each team will be eager to make a strong statement early in the season, adding extra excitement to this game. This match should be a goal filled and action packed game as Manitou dominated over Rochester in 2023, coming away with a 3-0 win. 
 

Although last year's scoreline projects a victory for Manitou, both teams finished similarly in the conference standings. Rochester ended last season with a 3-6-0 record, placing eighth in the conference, while Manitou had a 3-5-1 record, finishing just one spot higher in seventh. This suggests the game might be a more evenly matched contest than the previous result might indicate, making for an exciting game for spectators and players alike. 
 

Manitou F.C. and Rochester United FC will play at 7:00pm (CST) to close out Week 4 at White Bear Lake South Campus, Manitou’s home ground. 
 

  

Other matchups in Week 4 of the Northern Conference include three games on Friday, May 31 starting with Mankato United Soccer Club vs. Minnesota Thunder and Rochester United FC vs. Sioux Falls City FC at 7:00 pm (CST), followed up by Manitou F.C. vs. MapleBrook Fury at 8:00 pm (CST). All matches and more information can be found on the WPSL website.