Written By:  Jenny Ellis
Photography:  Jason Morales Ortiz

 

 

WEEKEND SHOWDOWNS IN NORTHERN CONFERENCE
Week Six Round Up Preview

 

Fans of the WPSL can look forward to an exciting conclusion to Week 6 of play in the Northern Conference, marking just over halfway through the regular season matches. This weekend promises some intriguing encounters with three key games on the schedule.

 

JOY AC VS ST. CROIX LEGACY 

Kicking off the weekend, Joy AC will host St. Croix Legacy on Saturday afternoon at 4:30pm (CDT) at Oriole Stadium. This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams, adding an element of unpredictability to the match.

Joy AC will look to rebound from a 3-1 home defeat to Rochester United FC last week. Currently sitting in 9th place, it aims to climb the conference rankings.

On the other hand, St. Croix Legacy, sitting comfortably in 4th place, is coming off of two strong wins – a 0-3 victory over Dakota Fusion FC on the road and a 2-1 win over Minnesota Thunder. 

Last season, St. Croix defeated Joy AC 3-0 – a result Joy AC will seek to improve upon this year. Adding to the overall anticipation for the match, St. Croix faces a challenging schedule this week with two matches, including a midweek clash on Wednesday, June 12th at 7:00pm (CST) against the Central Region’s #4 ranked Salvo SC. This could potentially fatigue the team ahead of its Saturday match against Joy.

 

 

SIOUX FALLS CITY FC VS MAPLEBROOK FURY

Later on Saturday, Sioux Falls City FC will face MapleBrook Fury at 6:00pm (CDT) on its home field. 

Sioux Falls City FC has had a great season so far, remaining undefeated in all four of its matches and currently sits 3pts back from the top spot of the conference. Adding onto this, with the home crowd advantage, Sioux Falls will aim to retain its winning streak and avoid the mid-season drop-off that has been an issue for the club in previous years.

MapleBrook Fury, on the other hand, has had a disappointing start to the season with two draws and one loss from its three matches. It will be looking to turn things around after a scoreless draw against Rochester United FC in Week 5.

Although facing the league leaders on its home turf will be a very tough challenge, MapleBrook should still be eager to net a few goals and earn valuable conference points in this game.

 

 

MANKATO UNITED SOCCER CLUB VS DAKOTA FUSION FC

Rounding out the weekend, Mankato United Soccer Club will host Dakota Fusion FC at 4:00pm (CDT) on Sunday, June 16th, at the Bethany Lutheran Soccer Stadium.

Dakota Fusion, a club based in Fargo, N.D., faces the challenge of a four and a half hour journey to Mankato, Minn. This trip, combined with a game against Manitou F.C. on Friday – 48 hours prior – could push its endurance to new lengths. 

Currently, Dakota Fusion sits at the bottom of the conference, after falling in its first two games. But, optimistically, Fusion has nothing to do but improve upon its season with five games left and plenty of opportunity to rebound from the slow start. 

Mankato United currently sits four spots above Fusion in sixth place in the conference. If it can keep this success up, it will mark a substantial improvement from its eighth place finish in 2023. 
 

However, Mankato also faces a tight schedule, playing a 7:00pm (CDT) Friday night match on the road against Rochester United FC. 
 

Last year, Mankato United edged out Dakota Fusion 1-0 in a close game. With this past scoreline, both teams having to manage a quick, two game turn around, and Dakota Fusion’s ability to go “nowhere but up”, this match is anyones to win.

 

 

Other Games happening this week include: a Wednesday night matchup between Minnesota Thunder and Manitou F.C. and a game between St. Croix Legacy and Salvo SC, both matches starting at 7:00pm (CST). On Friday, two matches are scheduled – Rochester United FC vs. Mankato United Soccer Club and Dakota Fusion FC vs. Manitou F.C., similarly, both at 7:00pm (CST). All this action and more can be found at WPSL TV.