Kari Gibb/MDN Minot High sophomore Jayva McKibbin battles Bismarck Century junior Kadence McEvers for the ball in front of the Century net in the first half of play.

The Bismarck Century Patriots were the latest team to try and slow down the Minot High Majettes girls’ soccer team, who came off a statement 10-0 lead over Mandan last Friday night. The Patriots used a stringent defense that frequently had as many as eight or nine defenders in the penalty box with the hopes of creating a wall between the Minot High forwards and the Century goal.

For 22 minutes of the first half the plan worked, as the Majettes failed to get quality attempts on goal. Then, in the 22nd minute, Jayva McKibben centered it through the Patriots defenders to Maicee Burke, who scored to put Minot High up 1-0. Burke’s 12th goal of the season was all the Majettes needed, defeating the Patriots 4-0 at home.

The closest Bismarck Century came to a goal was when midfielder Joycee Jacobsen was brought down from behind while driving on the Minot High goal. However, no foul was called, and Minot High took a 1-0 lead into half time, in large part because of the Patriots stingy defense. That defense proved costly in other ways though, as Century was unable to get any offensive production because of its aggressive defense.

Four minutes into the second half, the Majettes broke the game open, when Emerson Perrin found Burke, who blasted it into the back left corner of the goal from point blank range for her second goal of the evening.

Perrin earned a second assist later in the half when she sent a corner kick into Camden Varty, who headed it into the goal to put Minot High up 3-0 in the 60th minute. It was Varty’s second goal of the season, and the two assists brought Perrin’s point total on the year to 32, which leads the team. Burke is in second with 23 after last night’s game.

McKibben scored a goal of her own at the 70 minute mark, assisted by Syvanna Fowler. McKibben has now scored three goals in the past two games, with eight on the season.

The win also leapfrogs Minot High over Jamestown for the top spot in the West Region standings.

The win also furthers the argument that Minot High is the team to beat in three weeks at the 2024 NDHSAA Girls Soccer State Championships. The Majettes are yet to allow a goal this season, outscoring opponents 64-0, as they improve to a perfect 10-0 on the season. The team’s unbeaten streak now sits at 62 games, the last defeat a 2-1 loss to Fargo Shanley in the 2019 state title game.

Perrin, who has signed with North Dakota State University, now has 17 goals and 15 assists on the season to lead the team. Fellow senior Maicee Burke has 13 goals and 10 assists on the year, and she was an offsides call away from having a hat-trick in last night’s game.

Minot High will take its undefeated record to Dickinson on Thursday night, while Bismarck Century, who drops to 5-4-2 overall, will travel to Mandan on Thursday.