FORT WANYE, Ind.—South Dakota junior Corey Strang put a pair of goals into the net to defeat Fort Wayne 2-0 at Hefner Soccer Complex on Sunday.
 
The victory clinched the Coyotes' spot in the Summit League Tournament. South Dakota (8-11-0, 5-3-0 Summit League) advances to the league's four-team tournament for the first time in program history. Fort Wayne concluded its season with a 4-13-2 record (2-5-1 Summit League).

"I am so proud of what this group has done throughout the year," said head coach Mandy Green. "We had a rough start to the year playing an extremely tough non-conference schedule, but we kept at it. We kept getting better every day, believing that we could do it. We are playing hard, we are playing smart, and we are playing together better than we have ever done in my time at USD.
 
"Reaching the tournament has been something that we have been striving for since I arrived at South Dakota. This team has worked hard all year and deserves this. We earned this playing hard for and with one another."
 
Strang put the Coyotes on the board in the 35th minute. Freshman Sammie Villwock dribbled into the Mastodon defense to push them off the ball as she dropped the ball to the center of the box where Strang awaited. Strang placed a one-touch shot into the bottom right corner of the net.
 
On the attack again in the 39th minute, Strang had bypassed her defender on the run when she was slide tackled inside of the box. A foul was called and Strang converted her second penalty kick in as many games.
 
Strang moved into fifth in program history with five game-winning goals and ninth in career goals with 15. She has nine for the season with four assists.
 
The Coyotes outshot the Mastodons 22-9, and placed 14 of those on-target. Fort Wayne goalkeeper Kiley Dunning pulled down 12 saves for the Mastodons.
 
South Dakota sophomore goalkeeper Sydney Hardin notches her fourth shutout of the year. Hardin grabbed two saves and came out to deflect several of the Dons crosses.
 
South Dakota earns the fourth seed in the Summit League Tournament and will play the top seed on Thursday in Brookings, S.D.